


The Purrfect Life of Adrien Agreste

by Shattered_Heartless



Series: Purrfect Lives [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Needs Love, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Angst, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Alya Césaire Bashing, Alya Hell, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Evil Lila Rossi, F/M, Feed Adrien Agreste, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Agreste is an Asshole, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Heartbreak, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Identity Reveal, Lesbian Chloé Bourgeois, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Angst, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Marinette is a very good friend, Nino Lahiffe Is So Done, Peacock Nathalie Sancoeur | Mayura, Post-Episode: s03 Chat Blanc, Post-Episode: s03 Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 50,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23256580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shattered_Heartless/pseuds/Shattered_Heartless
Summary: This story was made for the March 2020 fanfic exchange we are having on the Miraculous Fanfics Discord. Invite link below!A little AU that breaks off from canon after Ladybug. Everything else is SPOILERS.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Purrfect Lives [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1912741
Comments: 191
Kudos: 514
Collections: March 2020 - Music





	1. The Calm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WonderBat91939](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderBat91939/gifts).



Adrien

“Kid, you gotta stop banging your head like that. It’s going to give me a headache.” Adrien turned his head to glare at the kwami sitting on his bed, surrounded by pieces of camembert. “What? It was getting annoying.” Adrien sighed and turned his attention back to his computer, Alya’s latest post on display. He had just returned from the encounter with Senti-Bug, Hawkmoth, and Mayura. Adrien felt his heart break again as he remembered watching the sentimonster erased from existence. It looked so much like Ladybug; almost succeeding in stealing his miraculous by taking advantage of his feelings for Ladybug. If it wasn’t for Ladybug’s quick thinking, he would have handed the real Ladybug miraculous to Mayura. Then she had to give up capturing Mayura’s miraculous to save him from Hawkmoth.

And the Ladyblog fans wasted no time in shaming him for it. Different opinions had sprouted up that afternoon since Alya posted, the fans taking sides. LadyNoir fans saying Chat Noir needs to wait until Paris is safe from supervillains before he makes a move, claiming he will distract Ladybug in fights and cause Hawkmoth to win in the end. Another group of Ladybug fans said he should be replaced, all of them asking Ladybug to pick them as the new Chat Noir claiming they could do a better job and be a better partner. They must be just people crushing on Ladybug and wanting Chat Noir out of their way. Finally, there was the small group led by Alya, stating anyone could be tricked by the sentimonster. Alya even brought up Heroes’ Day and how all of Paris fell for the illusion of Ladybug using Chat Noir’s cataclysm on him. Adrien scrolled through the mixed comments, each one telling him in one way or another that he was a failure.

He sighed again. It was still his fault, his failure. It seemed like he couldn’t get anything right these days. He couldn’t stand up for Marinette, couldn’t stand up to his father, couldn’t tell the real Ladybug from a fake. And worst of all, she didn’t love him, telling him she was in love with someone else in her civilian life. Plagg frowned at his Chosen, abandoning his prized camembert to confront him. He hovered in front of the screen, blocking Adrien’s view of the comments. “Kid, you can’t keep torturing yourself like this. It was an honest mistake that any of these trolls could make.”

Adrien shook his head, “But it wasn’t them, Plagg. It was me and I almost gave Hawkmoth my miraculous because of it. Then Ladybug would have been on her own against both Hawkmoth and Mayura, not to mention the sentimonster under their control.”

Plagg groaned, he hated seeing his Chosen blame himself for things that weren’t his fault. The black cat miraculous commonly brought misfortune to the wielder and they had to take it in stride. Most Chosen had been close to their Ladybugs, the good fortune balanced out the misfortune allowing them to live in peace. But some of his past Chosen had been overwhelmed by it, plunging into darkness. Regrettably, his kitten was yet to realize his Ladybug was literally swooning over him outside the mask. 

“Cheer up kid, you can’t always be the perfect child. People make mistakes, it’s a part of life. I have seen people make mistakes worse than that, willingly. The point is you are not a horrible person, no matter how big of a mistake you make.” The kwami turned off all the monitors before facing his Chosen. “Now, you can’t do anything to change the past, but what about your current situation? Pigtails is still expelled, what are you going to do about it?” Adrien didn’t reply, thinking through the facts. 

He was certain that Marinette was innocent. He didn’t doubt for a second that Lila framed her. Everyone else was convinced otherwise though. Lila had planted enough false evidence to convince even Alya who completed an investigation trying to prove Marinette’s innocence. He couldn’t understand why everyone was so convinced that Marinette would be so awful when she had bent over backwards to help everyone in the class, never asking for something in return. Adrien sighed, he had a lot of work to do.

Gabenath

Gabriel glared at Nathalie as she laid the couch coughing, clutching the peacock brooch tightly in his hand. “How could you be so ignorant? After I gave up on a group of akumas because of your failing health! Including the Dupain-Cheng girl that has been eluding my akumas for so long!” Gabriel stopped his ranting and took a deep breath. “One would think you would have the common sense to heed my word and stop. A bloody doctor even came in and told you that you needed to rest.” His voice was more reasonable but he still couldn’t stop himself from throwing up his hands in exasperation.

Nathalie shrugged, not at all apologetic, as she coughed again. “I did what I had to, Gabriel. I want to help you get the miraculous; bring Emelie back.”

Gabriel scowled, “I’ve warned you that the cost of being Mayura and Catalyst was too high and you didn’t listen. I am not willing to pay the price by losing you to that damaged miraculous like I lost Emelie.”

“What choice do we have?” she coughed out. “We need to do everything we can to get those miraculous. No matter the cost. That is my choice to make.”

“And it was a stupid and foolish decision to make. I choose to not let you risk your life needlessly ever again!” Gabriel growled, frustrated with her ignorance. “We can’t afford to self-sacrifice or expose ourselves. Ladybug and Chat Noir almost captured you and the peacock, exposing your identity and potentially leading them straight to me. All hope of bringing Emelie back would have been lost. Both of us would have been sent to prison. Adrien would then learn the truth about everything that has been going on, including the lies about his mother’s disappearance.” Nathalie twitched with guilt at the mention of Adrien. seeing the boy mourn his mother’s supposed death already haunted her every day. Gabriel shook his head again, murmuring, “You will never be called to assist me again, or even see this miraculous again. No one will use it again as long as I live.”

Nathalie coughed again, looking him in the eye as she pleaded, “Please Gabriel, let me keep helping you. The Rossi girl can set it all up again and get even more people this time. The Dupain-Cheng girl will be under our control. We can bring back Emelie.” Her eyes supplicated as she begged in a raspy voice, “Please give me another chance.”

Gabriel shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He couldn’t bear to look at her as she coughed and he turned his back to her. “No, Nathalie, I can’t risk your safety any more than I already have. I never should have let you wield that broken miraculous in the first place.” He strode to the door, finally turning back to look at her to declare firmly, “You are worth too much to sacrifice on this crusade. I will find another way. From now on, you will go back to ensuring Adrien is kept out of danger whenever I akumatize someone and organize my schedule to keep me from suspicion.” He opened the door without another word and left Nathalie alone with her guilt. She failed him again and now he won’t let her help him. A tear rolled down her cheek as she laid there wondering if she will ever redeem herself in his eyes and be allowed to help him in his crusade again.

Gabriel sat down at the computer in his office and opened his ‘Personal Projects’ folder. Inside were several files: ‘Category four akumas’, ‘Failures’, ‘Currently Known Miraculous’, and lastly ‘Dupain-Cheng’. Marinette had drawn his attention ever since her emotions attracted his akuma and she successfully evaded it, twice. Gabriel could taste the power her akuma form would wield, the first category five akuma ever. When she was finally akumatized today, her name was revealed to him: Princess Justice. Her powers were greater then every other akuma in that room put together. The power combined with the girl’s natural brilliance, evidenced by her design skills and problem-solving abilities, would make her the perfect akuma; the one to finally bring him the miraculous he desired.

But before he could make another run at evilizing her, he had a deal to honor. 

Adrien

He was still wondering what to do to help Marinette when Nathalie knocked on his door to tell him he had to be ready to leave for a photoshoot in ten minutes. Adrien sighed, naturally his father would keep him busy when he was trying to help his friends. Plagg gave a sympathetic purr as he sat on his kitten’s shoulder. “Let’s be honest kid, at least you won't be locked up inside all day. Now you can go out for some fresh air and maybe that can help you figure out a way to help your girlfriend.” Adrien didn’t challenge the kwami, silently nodding his head in agreement. Plagg wasn’t wrong, he realized. The fresh air would be nice and would improve his mood. Finding a way to help Marinette would be a welcome relief to his conscience. 

What did Plagg call her? He froze, too late Adrien realized his slip up as Plagg cackled, “You didn’t deny it! You have a crush on Marinette! You have a crush on Marinette!” the kwami chanted as he zipped around Adrien’s head.

“I don’t have a crush on her, Plagg. She’s just a fri…”

“Finish that sentence and I will claw your tongue.” Plagg glared at his Chosen as he continued, “You do realize that girl is head over heels for you, right?”

Adrien shook his head, in denial. “She can’t be, she’s dating Luka. She even invited him to go skating with us.”

“Only because you invited Kagami and asked her for help. What do you think she was going to do? Sit there and watch you and that crazy fencer girl as her heart broke?” Plagg retorted. “Do I need to remind you about the ‘prank’ you played on her at the wax museum? She professed her love for you thinking you were a statue and even tried to kiss you. Does that light any bulbs in your head or are you that dim?”

“She said that she was just kidding,” Adrien tried to reason.

“Yep, and you somehow believed that,” Plagg shook his head at his gullible kitten. 

“Well, then I should just ask Marinette for the truth about her feelings then?” Adrien inquired helplessly.

Plagg hesitated before asking, “If she tells you she has a crush on you, how will you react?”

“I don’t know,” Adrien confessed. He never had a close friend like Marinette confess like that. And if she truly has feelings for him? He wasn’t sure what he would do. He sighed, “I love Ladybug, but I don’t want to hurt Marinette.”

“Then maybe wait until you know for sure what you will do,” Plagg advised. That way you won’t fumble this too badly and Tikki won’t kill me, the kwami thought. Adrien nodded woodenly, frowning as he continued to get ready. Whether or nor Marinette had romantic feelings for him, she still deserved to be proven innocent.

Nathalie was waiting at the front door, tapping her foot impatiently as she analyzed something on her tablet. She didn’t glance up once at him, simply ordering, “Let’s go, your father wants you to be there on time.” Those were the last words she spoke to him, remaining silent and focused on her work the entire trip to the shoot. She sat in the car seat while Adrien stepped out of the car, thanking the Gorilla who just nodded and grunted in reply.

Vincent greeted him with a wide smile, “Adrienno! So good to see you!” Adrien smiled, the Italien photographer’s enthusiasm never failed to cheer up his mood, making the shoots more bearable. “I am so excited! Your first shoot with a female partner! I am so thrilled for you to meet her! She has been all around the world, knows all the celebrities personally, and is Italien just like me!”

Adrien barely opened his mouth to ask about who it would be when he immediately shut it. Lila turned and flashed her fake smile, “Hi Adrien!”

Vincent beamed wider as Adrien did his best not to scowl. “I’ll leave you two to chat for a moment while I get the camera and lighting set up!” The energetic photographer walked away from the two of them, leaving Adrien alone with Lie-la.

Lila smiled at him, her green eyes scrutinizing him like a fox observes her prey. “So terrible what happened to Marinette earlier!”

Adrien rolled his eyes at her, sitting in the chair next to her. It was taking Adrien every bit of his self-control not to make a scene and refuse to shoot with her. He stared out at the La Seine as he growled out, “Save it, Lila. I know that you set Marinette up and you are going to set things right by telling everyone she is innocent.”

Lila scoffed, “And sacrifice all my work for a dumb girl who doesn’t know how to fall in line? I warned her that I would take everything away from her and she didn’t listen. Why would I do that?.”

“Because we are friends, aren’t we?” Nothing in his tone was friendly as Lila eyed him cautiously. “Just make up a bigger lie, one where Marinette is innocent so she will be allowed to return to school again.”

Lila frowned. Nathalie stepped in, interrupting Lila as she opened her mouth to retort, telling him “Adrien, you are scheduled for a photoshoot in Berlin. It will last from tomorrow to next Sunday. You leave tonight, so once you get home you are to pack up your bags.” Adrien felt like he got kicked in the gut. Not only would he be alone for three days, but he would have to leave Marinette alone to solve the Lila problem. But before Adrien could say anything, she strode off, back to the car.,

Lila quickly wiped the smirk off her face before Adrien turned his head back around. “I will do what you ask Adrien.” Adrien looked over at her in surprise, Lila shrugging as she gave him her fake smile. “What? We are friends and Marinette is your friend.” Adrien narrowed his eyes at her, then turned to stare at the La Seine.

The photoshoot was one of the worst experiences of his life. Having never shot with a female partner, Adrien didn’t know what to expect. Lila would listen to the photographer, but every time she was told to pose close to him she would touch him when he didn’t want to be touched. She would place her hand on his chest splaying her fingers over his heart and wrap her arm around him possessively. It made him feel uncomfortable and the photographer would call out, “Adrien, you have warm spaghetti, not cold spaghetti! Let’s see that radiant smile that lights up everyone’s day!” Adrien struggled to put on his model smile, doing his best to hurry through the shoot.

Afterward, Lila attempted to latch onto his arm asking him, “Adrien, why don’t we hang out and see a movie or something.” Failing to keep hold of him, she lunged again to try and grab his arm.

Adrien sidestepped around her, walking backward to the waiting car. Gorilla had already started the car and had Nathalie stepped out to call him over. “Sorry, Lila, but I have a trip to pack for.” Without another word, he turned his back to her and speed walked to his car before she could say more. Nathalie simply nodded at him before giving him a list of things he would be required to bring along with him. Her words fell on deaf ears, she had already given him a copy of the list and he was not in a mood to listen to her instructions. It was the same song and dance each time: be polite, mature and respectable for you are the face of the company. Adrien had the lecture memorized better than anything else.

When he got dropped off, he found his father waiting for him in the front foyer standing at the top of the staircase as always. Gabriel glared down at him and issued his order in a firm voice, “Adrien, I expect you to pack immediately and be ready within half an hour. Nathalie and your bodyguard will company you. Nathalie will keep you on schedule while he will ensure your safety.

“Father, I can’t go to Berlin for three days. I have school and my friend needs my help to…”

“You will go where I tell you to!” Gabriel snapped. “Your friend will have to deal with their problems on their own and you can catch up on your homework when you get back. Now go pack!” Without another word, Gabriel strode back to his office, his final words still echoing in the foyer. Feeling helpless and defeated, Adrien bowed his head in despair and headed to his room. Nathalie simply walked to her room and retrieved the travel bag she kept ready. Hopefully, Gabriel would change his mind about letting her help him in his crusade again.

Marinette

The Friday morning after the showdown with the villains, Marinette still felt sick from watching Senti-Bug get taken out by Mayura. She sat in the kitchen of the bakery, picking at her toast. Her father let her briefly talk to Alya yesterday, but it was no help at all. Alya only seemed to be more convinced Marinette had committed the crimes, even asking Marinette to admit that she was just jealous because Lila was hanging out with Adrien and to apologize to Lila. ‘Then Lila will give her a second chance and everyone could be friends.’ Alya’s words had nauseated Marinette. She tried to convince Alya that Lila was lying and she was innocent. This only angered the blogger; lashing out at Marinette by stating she should make a decision not influenced by her crush on Adrien before hanging up. Tom came to the storage room and found Marinette crying, her phone set aside. He hugged her, asking her to tell him what really happened.

Marinette told him everything, from the moment Lila first joined the school to when Alya hung up on her. Tom sent her upstairs and told Sabine the whole story when she returned from her delivery. Calling the school, they learned that they had reconsidered and are only suspending Marinette for three days; she could return on the following Tuesday. They were still suspicious of Lila but let Marinette have her phone back. Sabine had left for the school, intent on investigating Lila herself.

Tom came up to the kitchen, free now that the morning rush had come and gone. “Hey dear!” Marinette mumbled out a reply still staring at her toast. Tom opened his mouth to try and cheer her up, but the image on the TV caught his attention. “Isn’t that the Rossi girl? With Adrien?” Marinette’s head snapped up as Tom unmuted the TV.

“And we have received photos from the recent Gabriel shoot, which included Gabriel Agreste’s new muse Lila Rossi alongside Adrien Agreste. According to our sources, rumors are Ms. Rossi will be taking a full-time position modeling for the Gabriel brand.” The newscaster’s voice faded out as Marinette stared at the pictures. Something was off, different from the other Gabriel brand photos. Adrien was smiling, but his model smile was strained. It was the hidden message in his eyes that clenched her heart: there was pain and fear in his eyes. Clearly, he was uncomfortable, but wouldn’t they make sure he was okay with everything before shooting? Did no one else notice?

Tom noticed Marinette’s eyes narrowing at the photos and turned off the TV. “Sweetheart, why don’t you give me a hand in the bakery?” Marinette nodded and followed him down into the bakery, but her mind never left the image of an uncomfortable Adrien.


	2. The Storm

Monday: Adrien

Adrien stepped out of the car, thanking the Gorilla before walking up the steps to school. He sipped his coffee, still feeling tired from his trip. The trip to Berlin was a lot busier than he expected. He ended up being rushed from studio to studio each day with barely any time for himself. He was shoved back on a flight after the last shoot, arriving just before midnight. As a result, Adrien collapsed from exhaustion, waking up when Plagg nipped him. By some miracle, no akumas had attacked the city while he was away, but that was little comfort to him. Now it was Monday and he was back at last, though a bit late for class.

The courtyard was deserted, save for one girl with very familiar pigtails walking up the stairs towards Ms. Bustier’s classroom. “Marinette! Wait up!” 

Said girl turned around, her bluebell eyes meeting his green as a smile formed on her face. “Adrien!” She stopped for a moment to let him catch up to her, beaming at him as he rushed up the stairs. “Are you how? I mean how are you?” 

Adrien smiled as her face started turning crimson. He always found it cute when Marinette got flustered. “I’ve been better, just got back from some photoshoots in Berlin. Are you running late too?”

Marinette looked away, “N-no, just he-here to pick up some of the homework I missed. Then I’m going back to the bakery to help my parents out some more.”

Adrien frowned, “Are you still expelled?” 

Marinette shook her head as she started walking up the stairs again, Adrien walking alongside her. “The school changed their mind and just suspended me for a few days due to the evidence being ‘suspicious’. I’ll be allowed to go back to class tomorrow.”

Adrien frowned, suspicion starting to form in his mind. “I thought Lila said she would get the school to let you back in right away?”

Marinette shook her head, still not looking at him. “They never mentioned her over the phone, but if Lila told you she would do something for the good of someone else, I wouldn’t count on her actually doing it. She’s very good at deceiving people and sees me as a threat for standing in her way.” She sighed, her shoulders sagging in despair.

Adrien shook his head, confessing quietly, “At the shoot, she said she would get you back in school because she was my friend. I’m so sorry, Marinette.”

She flashed a comforting smile at him as she stopped just outside of Ms. Bustier’s classroom. “It’s not your fault Adrien, there was nothing you could do to make her change or actually do the right thing.” As she walked into the classroom, Adrien couldn’t help but feel a stab of guilt in his chest. ‘It is my fault though, I’m the one who told you to take the high road and believed that Lila would do the right thing. I was wrong and you are paying for my mistake.’ 

Adrien followed her into the classroom and was shocked to find almost everyone glaring at Marinette. Nino sat in Marinette’s spot while Lila was in Nino’s seat next to Adrien’s spot. Alya was talking, well, shouting, he conceded. “I can’t believe you would actually do that Marinette! Stealing Adrien’s phone to delete an embarrassing message is one thing, but stealing it just to keep him from talking to Lila? Where does it end with you?” Alya’s tirade ended in a screech. 

Marinette tried to sputter out a reply, but Lila spoke up between sniffles, “I think she snuck on the set last Thursday and got jealous when she saw me and Adrien so close. Marinette must have overheard his assistant tell Adrien that he was to go away for a shoot all weekend and wanted to make sure I couldn’t talk to him. And because he didn’t have his phone, I wasn’t able to send him the photos of our shoot and tell him we have another today.” While most people muttered in rage, Adrien noticed Alix narrow her eyes.

Adrien moved to the front of the room where Ms. Bustier was supposed to be, waving his hands to get their attention. “Guys, Marinette never had my phone. My father kept it to keep me from being distracted while I was away. Nathalie had it the whole time.”

“Adrien, you don’t have to lie to defend her,” Alya stated bluntly. “Marinette should be capable of fighting her own battles.”

“She didn’t threaten you as she threatened me, did she?” Lila questioned timidly. Adrien could feel the venom hidden in her seemingly innocent question, which was clearly intended to further turn the class against Marinette. More of his classmates glared at Marinette, while Nathaniel seemed to have woken up from his morning nap, eyeing the group suspiciously. Chloe rolled her eyes and inspected her nails. Sabrina looked from Lila to Marinette as if torn between the two.

Adrien tried again to explain Marinette was innocent, but Ms. Bustier chose that moment to finally show up to class. “Everyone, settle down now! Adrien, welcome back. Now please take your seat. Marinette, here is your homework.” She handed Marinette her homework, who simply nodded in thanks before quickly exiting the room. Taking his usual seat in the front Adrien felt his guilt grow as he saw a tear rolling down her cheek.

Lila smirked briefly when she felt no one would see it, no one but Adrien that is. She latched on to his arm. “Adrien, isn’t it so great that we are sitting next to each other again?” 

Adrien glared at her, “We had a deal.”

Lila shrugged as Ms. Bustier turned around again. “Lila, please keep to yourself and pay attention to the lesson.”

“Sorry, Ms. Bustier, you know how I can zone out sometimes.” The teacher smiled understandingly, while Adrien felt sick. This is not good.

At lunchtime, it was no better. Alya and Nino dragged him over to their lunch table with no intention of hearing his side of the story, claiming he had just been lied to by Marinette. Lila joined them, invading his personal space as she went on about how great the shoot on Thursday had been and how the shoot that afternoon started after lunch and lasted the rest of the school day. Adrien quietly prayed it wasn’t true, not wanting to go through another uncomfortable shoot with Lila again.

His salvation came in the form of Alix, surprisingly, who said that she needed Adrien’s help for a project. Lila attempted to latch on, but Alix managed to shut her down stating she just only needed Adrien’s help. While Alya and Nino comforted the ‘hurt’ Lila, Alix led him over to the table where Nathaniel sat alone sketching. “Nat, I got him.”

Nathaniel flashed Adrien a small welcoming smile as Adrien turned to Alix. “What’s going on?”

“You don’t seriously believe Lila, do you?” Alix asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“No, of course not. I know my father’s assistant had my phone the whole time we were in Berlin in case he tried to contact me directly.” Adrien narrowed his eyes at her, asking her, “You two don’t believe her either? What changed?”

Alix shook her head at him. “Hard no and everyone else wouldn’t believe her if Alya didn’t speak faster then she thinks. She practically set Lila up to look all honest and innocent while you were saying something that would have changed everyone’s minds.”

“And we’ve known Marinette longer than most. She would never let her emotions dictate her every action or bully anyone,” Nathaniel added. “Kim and Max shouldn’t be too hard to reason with, they’ve both known Marinette for a long time too.”

Adrien shook his head, pointing out, “Max thought a napkin thrown by Marinette would pierce his glasses.”

Nathaniel groaned as Alix rolled her eyes. “We just need to get him to ask Markov the probability of that actually being a possible outcome. That should wake him up and Kim will believe anything Max tells him so then we get the two of them,” Alix reasoned.

“There is still Juleka and Rose, Lila promised to get Prince Ali to visit again and that got Rose hooked on. Anything Rose is enthusiastic about, Juleka is too,” Nathaniel pointed out. “That goes for Ivan and Mylene as well. Lila promised to ‘try’ and support their protests. Alya is loyal to Lila to a fault and Nino just does everything Alya wants.”

Adrien frowned, looking at the messages Nathalie had sent detailing the shoot that would take place that afternoon. He and Lila would be picked up right after lunch and brought to a closed studio where the crew would be ready for them. “So what’s your plan? And what about Chloe and Sabrina?”

“We will start with Max and Kim after school today.Then figure out who to talk to next,” Alix looked over at Chloe and Sabrina exiting the room, adding, “And Chloe and Sabrina haven’t really been that involved, but I don’t expect them to jump up and help Marinette.”

Adrien opened his mouth to defend his childhood friend when his phone started buzzing. It was Nathalie, no doubt calling him to get going. Lila slithered up and linked her arm through his, pulling him towards the exit into the hallway. “Adrien, let's go! We shouldn’t be late or your father will be mad!” Adrien waved goodbye to Alix and Nathaniel, who gave him twin looks of sympathy. Once in the hallway, Lila looked up at him, suspicion in her eyes. “What was the project?”

Adrien just kept looking ahead of him, not wanting to look at her. “Why do you need to know?”

“We are friends, aren’t we?”

“Not when you are lying about Marinette,” Adrien hissed, shaking her off and before entering the locker room. Lila scowled and followed him, retrieving her empty bag. Alya and Nino promised to do her homework since she was ‘helping Adrien catch up.’ Adrien hated the car ride, Lila sitting as close as she possibly could to him. 

To Adrien’s surprise, his father was at the studio inspecting things. Well, ‘inspecting’. Nathalie was holding up a tablet FaceTiming his father in his office. “Adrien, Ms. Rossi, good to see you are on time,” Gabriel stated in his usual monotone. “Ms. Rossi, the make-up team is waiting for you.” Lila wiggled her fingers at Adrien as a crewmember led her to an area off to the side where the make-up usually set up. “Adrien, I expect you show her the same respect I expect you to give everyone else.”

Adrien scowled, “Father, I don’t want to do the photoshoot with her. She makes advances on me without my permission that make me feel uncomfortable. Not to mention she is a liar and turned everyone against my friend who did nothing wrong.”

“She is a capable young woman who shows interest in you without foaming at the mouth and if her lies are that good, then she is intelligent as well. I see that as a perfect match. Perhaps your friend should just step aside for those who are better.” 

Adrien took a deep breath, doing his best not to yell as he hissed out, “You are missing the point, Father. I don’t like her. I don’t want to do any photoshoots with her or be around her.”

“You will do as I say and follow instructions!” Gabriel snapped at him, even causing Nathalie to shudder. “Unless you want to be pulled out of school, I’d advise you to give Ms. Rossi the respect she deserves.” Without another word, Gabriel hung up, leaving Adrien with balled fists. Why didn’t his father listen to him? Isn’t that what a parent was supposed to do?

Tuesday: Adrien

Plagg has never been more disgusted with Gabriel than the last couple of days. Adrien had been worked to the bone, barely given an ounce of free time. Then the man had the gall to encourage a relationship with Lila, the girl who turned everyone against Marinette, who is Plagg’s favorite human after Adrien. That did not sit well with the kwami, but Adrien was already aware of most of the situation. The kid was already down from not being able to help Marinette and being forced into photoshoots did not improve his mental health.Adrien was already on his second cup of coffee that morning. 

The solo photoshoot was canceled by Vincent after he declared the weather, “Not good for eating spaghetti!” This had delayed his arrival at school by half an hour. Adrien wanted to be there for Marinette on her first day back, but his father, as always, had to use his son for profits. 

To his surprise, the class seating arrangement seemed to have drastically changed since yesterday. Chloe and Sabrina sat in their usual seats, but behind them was Alix and Nathaniel. At the next row were Max and Kim, with Marinette sitting in the back row. On the other side, Lila remained in Nino’s seat, with Alya and Nino still behind them. Rose and Juleka moved to sit behind them, while Ivan and Mylene sat in the back row. The two sides were casting glares at each other, while Marinette sat with her head down, watching Ms. Bustier. She noticed Adrien and quickly gave him a sad smile before turning her attention back to the whiteboard. 

Adrien started to move to the back when Alya grabbed his wrist and pointed at the empty seat next to Lila. “Don’t make her feel like she’s forgiven when she hasn’t even apologized to you or Lila yet,” Alya hissed, rage burning in her eyes. Nino, Rose, and Juleka nodded their heads in agreement with Alya. As he sat down, Adrien felt Alix’s stare pierce his skull, and an image of Marinette giving him a look of hurt and betrayal popped into his mind. He did his best to focus on the lesson, but couldn’t get the thought of Marinette out of his mind. She trusted him and he failed her again. Adrien felt like a scaredy-cat. He detested acting so cowardly.

It boiled over when Ms. Bustier started lecturing about how lies can bring society down to its knees, Alya took the opportunity to fire a shot at Marinette. “At least they didn’t try to harm others or make their lives hell over petty jealousy,” she hissed.

Before Ms. Bustier could silence her, Alix stood up to defend Marinette. “The liars only succeed because there are people too stupid to realize the truth staring them in the face. They rather believe what the liar has to say because Lie-la says the things they like to hear.” 

“How dare you accuse Lila of such a horrible thing!” exclaimed Rose. “She has been nothing but kind to all of us, but Marinette was mean to her.” Juleka remained silent, simply nodding her head.

Max stood up, pushing up his glasses as he added, “I have been researching some of Lila’s claims and it would seem that a lot of them can be disproved by a simple google search. And Marinette’s connection to Jagged Stone grants her more than enough credibility to discredit Lila’s claims .”

“Which is pointless! She has a crush on Adrien and is jealous about how much time he spends with Lila now! Anything she says now is going to be based on that!” Alya threw back.

Marinette’s eyes widened, shocked that Alya revealed her secret to everyone. Adrien finally had enough and stood up to face Alya. “That wasn’t your secret to tell Alya!” Everyone stared at him in shock, no one noticing as Lila snuck out of the room.

“Dude, are you seriously standing up for Marinette? Not cool dude!” Nino glared at him, obviously convinced by Alya to stick with Lila.

“Because he doesn’t blindly follow someone who won’t even do basic research!” spat Alix, earning a glare from Alya but Nino hesitated as if thinking it over. “You and Marinette have known each other longer than everyone else here, even longer than Adrien and Chloe, and you seriously think she is capable of this?”

Alya turned her gaze from Alix back to Adrien, “Pick a freaking side, Agreste. The facts are out in plain sight. Marinette has changed and if anyone can get her to stop, it’s you. Maybe rejection will give her enough of a reality check to wake up.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Alya,” Nathaniel spoke up, the normally quiet artist startling the others with his anger. “who abandoned your best friend that was there for you since she met you, helping you without asking for anything in return.”

“EVERYONE! THAT’S ENOUGH!” The students glanced at the front of the room, and a red-faced Ms. Bustier took a deep breath. “Sit down now!” The students complied, surprised at her appearance, still casting glares at each other. “Everyone will remain here for after school detention, this is unacceptable!” 

Alix stood up red faced, exclaiming, “But they are the ones being unreasonable!”

“Says the one defending a liar,” Alya shot back at her.

Chloe snickered, “You all are so utterly ridiculous. One day you adore Dupain-Cheng, the next day you hate her!”

Rose stood up and yelled, “SHUT UP CHLOE! YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN MARINETTE!” The class burst back into the argument, Ms. Bustier’s pleas were lost in the shouting. Adrien looked back and saw Marinette overlooking the chaos, despair in her eyes.

A swarm of red butterflies poured in through the open door seeking victims as the students began bickering again. The arguments turned into screams as the class tried to avoid the butterflies, but they were way too worked up with negative emotions. Adrien ducked and started crawling for the door as everyone else was hit, dark energy turning students into villains. He saw Marinette rushing down the steps with a book over her head protectively as he reached the exit.. Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as they rushed out the door. Behind them, he could see the red outlines on their faces, no doubt Hawkmoth delivering his recruitment speech.

Adrien turned to Marinette, pointing down the walkway towards the stairs. “You have to get to safety! I can draw them away from you!”

Marinette’s bluebell eyes glared at him in defiance as she grabbed his hand again and pulled him with her. “Not without you! You don’t stand a chance against them alone. We need to get out of here and let Ladybug and Chat Noir do their job.” Adrien hissed quietly in frustration when she turned her gaze away. Why won’t she just go somewhere safe to hide so he could transform and help Ladybug stop the akumatized villains? Reluctantly, he let Marinette lead him out the school and down an alley. He would just have to wait until she gave him a chance to slip away, hoping his Lady could hold out before he was able to join her. 

Scarlet Moth

On the roof of the school stood Scarlet Moth, victory once again at his fingertips. He wasn’t able to akumatize the Dupain-Cheng girl, but he would make sure she was found and turned, ensuring his victory. He grinned evilly as he felt the power of all the akumas he currently had under his control. His new Catalyst grinned at his side, willingly helping him with his evil plan at last. “My loyal akumas, find Adrien Agreste and secure him some place where he will be out of the way. Then find Ladybug and Chat Noir and bring me their miraculous. Take out their precious backup heroes, wherever they may be! Today is the day the world will kneel to me!” 

Catalyst cackled beside him, eager to finally repay Ladybug for embarrassing her in front of Adrien. After Hawkmoth had made his wish, both the ladybug miraculous and Adrien will be hers while Marinette will be made to serve her every wish. And Lila will make sure Marinette never forgets that she won just as she had threatened she would by reminding her about it everyday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to [Angylle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angylle/pseuds/Angylle) who is beta reading for me! 


	3. Lost Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir race to save their allies while Hawkmoth works to find the Miracle Box.

Adrien

Marinette pulled him into the subway, looking behind them for any akumas that might be chasing them. Relieved it was clear, she turned back around to face him, her face full of determination. “Find a spot to lay low and out of harm’s way.” 

Without another word, she tried to rush out of the subway, Adrien barely stopping her. There was no way he was letting her go back out there alone, even if it allowed him to go transform. “What do you think you are doing? It’s too dangerous to go back out there alone.”

Marinette hesitated, captivated by the concern in his emerald green eyes. She shook herself out of her daze, a plan forming in her mind. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone this, but I am one of the backup heroes, Multimouse.”

Adrien felt a sense of remembrance wash over him, the memory of Multimouse releasing her transformation by accident in front of Chat Noir. But of course, Adrien isn’t supposed to know that, so he pretended to be surprised by this revelation. “That’s awesome! And makes sense too. But how do you know she needs you? What if she calls on the others?”

Marinette bit her lip, knowing she can’t say that almost all the backup heroes have been akumatized already. “There are so many of them akumatized, she is going to need all the help she can get.” She started up the stairs, then looked back at him with concern. “Please stay safe, Adrien. I mean it!” With that, she was gone, rushing off to whatever meeting point she had with Ladybug.

He ran to the nearest bathroom and into an empty stall, releasing Plagg from his shirt. “Look at you, all worried over Pigtails,” the kwami snickered. 

“Not now, Plagg. We’ve got to get Marinette somewhere safe, then help Ladybug! Plagg claws out!” A green flash later, Chat Noir burst out of the bathroom and out of the subway. Searching for Marinette, Chat spotted Ladybug headed towards the school. With Marinette nowhere in sight, Chat raced after Ladybug. He stopped on the rooftop she was using to observe the akumatized villains gathered in front of the school or leaving in groups headed to certain parts of the city. “Hello M’lady,” he purred as he crouched next to her. “Any plans?” 

“Looks like Scarlet Moth again,” Ladybug observed, lowering her bug-phone as Chat pulled out his staff to get a better look. “Not everyone in the school has been akumatized, but it looks like the civilians who weren’t akumatized were turned into knights by Darkblade or zombies by Zombizou. Looks like Darkblade is leaving with his army, scouting for us maybe?” 

Chat shrugged, noticing the unfamiliar vilain standing next to Hawkmoth. “There is a new one, maybe what’s giving him the boost?”

Ladybug observed the akuma, noting its stance and proximity to Scarlet Moth. “So we need to get to that one or Hawkmoth to end this.” Already, Chat could see the gears turning in her mind as she started piecing together a plan. “Okay, I need to grab some miraculous, then I will meet you back here.”

“No.” He said, placing a hand on her forearm to stop her from leaving. Ladybug looked back at him in surprise, mouth opening and closing. “I want to come with you. You are always keeping secrets, please for once just let me know what’s going on?”

Ladybug looked away from him, unable to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry, kitty, but it’s not my decision on what to tell you and what not to.” She walked away, stopping on the edge of the rooftop to look back at him. “Please don’t follow me.” With that, she swung off without another word. Chat Noir watched her swing off, then took off after her, unaware of Dark Owl observing them from his perch. 

A red outline line glowed over his face. “Scarlet Moth, the hero pretenders have left to get reinforcements, shall I stop them?”

“No,” Scarlet Moth’s deep voice filled the akuma’s mind. “Follow them and tell me where they go. I want to know where Ladybug gets those other miraculous.” Dark Owl shot his grappling gun, zipping off after the heroes.

Scarlet Moth and Catalyst looked out at the city, planning their strategy. In moments, Scarlet Moth and Catalyst were joined by Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Evilustrator, Stormy Weather and Dark Cupid. “Dark Cupid, find Kagami Tsurugi and turn her heart black so we can akumatize her before Ladybug arrives. Take a few others in case the heroes beat you there. Darkblade, find Luka Couffaine and turn him into one of your warriors.” 

Scarlet Moth grinned evilly, “The rest of Ladybug’s allies are already my loyal minions. Now, all we need is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” He connected with all the akumatized villains that were not present that he didn’t send out already, ordering them, “Find me Marinette Dupain-Cheng and evilize her!”

Ladybug

She took a long detour, running down a few alleyways to lose any pursuers potentially following her. Finally, Ladybug rushed into the ice cream parlour, startling a mediating Fu. “Master, Hawkmoth has become Scarlet Moth again, I need the miraculous!” Fu looked at her with concern in his eyes, causing her to realize that she was still transformed. “Oh, no! I’m sorry master, but we need to hurry if I’m to get to the remaining back up heroes before Scarlet Moth’s minions!”

Fu nodded, retrieving the Miracle box from its hiding place. “Choose wisely, Ladybug. The ones you take will either help you or hinder you in your fight.”

Ladybug eyed the miraculous carefully, they would need raw power to back them up, but also a few wild cards. She slowly picked out the dragon, snake, monkey, bee, and fox. She held out her hand to Fu, asking, “Master, if you don’t mind?” He nodded and handed the turtle miraculous to her. 

Ladybug stored the miraculous in her bug-phone as Fu asked her, “Are you sure you only need six?” 

She nodded, telling him, “I don’t want to risk any new holders with a miraculous they never used before. And the horse might not be able to help us. I have to go, stay safe, master!” 

Fu nodded at her as she rushed out, waiting for her to leave before closing the box back up and locking it in the gramophone. Placing it in a box with four envelopes and his translated copy of the miracle book on a USB key, Fu taped it and shut and called the boy from next door over. “Hello, young friend. Would you please take this box to this location for me? I’ll pay you in advance.” The young boy nodded, accepting the euros before picking up the box and leaving. Fu had planned for a situation like this since Hawkmoth akumatized his first villain, the day when his safe house was compromised. If it was nothing, he would go retrieve the items himself. If not, then Hawkmoth won’t get his filthy hands on more power. Setting up the fake Miracle box he created to deceive Hawkmoth, Fu settled down and began meditating once again.

Dark Owl observed Ladybug leave out of the back, the red outline forming over his face. “Scarlet Moth, I found the guardian.”

Chat Noir

He decided to stop following Ladybug, remembering the times he met the guardian. He should trust her, she was his partner and had placed her life in his hands more times than he could count. Ladybug will share the information with him when the time is right, he just has to be patient until then. He waited on a rooftop, looking for akumas as he waited for Ladybug. He didn’t have to wait long, Ladybug landed with a soft thud behind him. “Chat? What are you doing way over here?” She narrowed her eyes at him, “You didn’t follow me, did you?”

He looked away, feeling ashamed as he admitted, “I did, but stopped partway. I’m sorry.”

Ladybug shook her head, ”I am too, Kitty. I should be more open with you than the guardian tells me to. And I messed up, I didn’t release my transformation before getting the other miraculous. If an akuma was around, he would have been exposed to Hawkmoth.”

Chat nodded, deciding they can have a pity chat later. “What’s the plan?”

“Remember Kagami?” Chat nodded, prompting her to continue. “Take the dragon miraculous and get to her before any akumas reach her. I’ll get Viperion and will meet you back here to plan out our strategy to free any other heroes that were turned into villains. And Chat?”

“Yeah?” 

“There is another power we can use, one Multimouse used against Kwamibuster. It's called unifying, you call both kwami’s names, then say unify. You can then use the powers of both miraculous, but remember to detransform before the countdown of either miraculous is finished. I never saw what happens after the time runs out yet, but the result could be lethal.” Chat Noir nodded his understanding before jumping off to find Kagami. Ladybug swung off to find Luka. He’d dropped out of school once he was allowed to in order focus on his music. He always was practicing on his family’s boathouse, so she should have no trouble finding him.

Chat Noir bounded across rooftops, Kagami’s private school some blocks away yet. He didn’t see any akumas in the area on his way, making him feel more confident about his chances of getting to Kagami before an akuma. To his surprise, she was outside the school, her back turned to him as she stared at something inside the building. He landed in the tree line, carefully making his way over to her. “Kagami!” he hissed at her.

She turned her head to him, revealing her blackened lips. Chat backed away then dove to the side, barely evading a volley of arrows from Dark Cupid from above him. As Chat continued to retreat, a red butterfly went inside of Kagami’s ring, turning her into Risposte once again. Reflecta stepped out from her hiding place, Princess Fragrance behind her. “Here kitty kitty, I wanna give you a much-needed makeover! Then I will be able to look at you without throwing up.” the makeover themed akuma sneered at him. Risposte readied her blade as the other three villains took aim and fired their various powers at him. 

Chat Noir flipped backward, then rolled to the side, barely dodging Reflecta and Dark Cupid’s shots. Princess Fragrance ran forwards, spraying a cloud of her perfume at him. Using his baton to evade, Chat launched himself up onto the school roof. As Dark Cupid flapped up to catch up with him, Chat put the dragon choker on. “Here goes nothing I guess. Plagg, Longg, unify!” The dragon kwami zipped into the choker, the transformation washing over him leaving him in a black and red suit with green outlines. Dragon Noir readied himself, baton in one hand and sword in the other.

Dark Cupid soared above him, a confused look on his face. “What? How?” 

Dragon Noir smirked, pointing his sword at the akuma as he called out, “Wind dragon!” The cyclone hit the akuma square on, sending him spinning out of control with his bow cast aside.

Risposte pulled herself up onto the rooftop, glaring at the hero. “Hand over you miraculous and I might spare your life.” Without waiting for a response, she charged at him, jumping up for a heavy overhead slash. Dragon Noir crossed his two weapons together, using the x shape to block the blow. The hero quickly dashed to the side and jabbed the baton at Rispote’s chest, extending it to shove her across the roof. Princess Fragrance and Reflecta finally got on the roof, standing on either side of Risposte as they aimed their weapons at him. “It’s over, hand over your miraculous,” Risposte growled.

Dragon Noir cocked his head as if pretending to think the offer over before giving them his trademark grin. “How about I give you a bath instead? Water dragon!” Shifting into a water form, he surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing into the group of akumas. Princess Fragrance was swept off the roof while Reflecta crashed into the door for the rooftop access stairwell. Dragon Noir quickly reformed, searching for Risposte, but she was nowhere to be found.

Doing a quick sweep of the area, Chat found no sign of the akuma. “Plagg, Longg, divide!” The dragon kwami zipped back out of the choker as Chat opened the tiny compartment in his baton. Holding out a piece of camembert, Longg eagerly accepted the food offered to him. Storing away the dragon miraculous, Chat set off, trying to contact Ladybug as he went.

Behind him, Risposte peered out from her hiding place, a red outline glowing in front of her face. “Chat Noir has left, please allow me to pursue him.”

“No,” Scarlet Moth’s deep voice ordered in Rispote’s mind. “Stay out of sight, we can’t allow Ladybug and Chat Noir to gain any allies in this fight if we are to win. Keep to the shadows and find me Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” Risposte nodded as the glow faded, leaving the other three villains to recover on their own as she began her search. Scarlet Moth shall get what he desires, even if it meant Risposte wasn’t allowed to fight on the front line anymore. She served Scarlet Moth, his will is her duty. It was all of the akumas’ duty, there was no choice or personal agendas to distract them anymore. 

Ladybug

Ladybug swung from building to building, going as fast as she could physically achieve while transformed. She could see the Couffaine boat house in the distance, still afloat on the water to her relief. Perhaps it wasn’t too late to get Viperion to join the fight, she thought to herself. She soon realized luck wasn’t on her side today.

Before she arrived the boathouse was enveloped in a dark cloud, transforming it into Captain Hardrock’s ship. As Ladybug landed on the wall separating the waterfront from the street, she spotted a group of Darkblade’s knights aboard the ship. Captain Hardrock moved from the aft of the ship to midsection, opening a compartment to reveal a chained Luka. One of the knights reached down and hauled the musician out, another holding an evilized butterfly to try and infect him with. “No!” Ladybug’s cry gave away her position, startling Scarlet Moth’s minions. 

After a moment's hesitation, Captain Hardrock pointed her sword at Ladybug, screaming, “Fire!” The cannons fired, taking out the wall where she was standing moments ago. Using her yoyo, Ladybug pulled herself up the lookout post, taking a moment to formulate a plan of action. Opening up her bug-phone, she pulled out the fox miraculous and put the necklace on. “Tikki, Trixx, unify!” In a flash of light, a pair of orange and white stripes snaked around her Ladybug suit, complete with a fox-like tail. Drawing her flute, Ladyfox eyed the group below. Luka hadn’t been akumatized yet, thankfully, she may be able to get the snake miraculous to him. She took a deep breath and blew into the flute, the familiar song playing. “Mirage!” cried Ladyfox, swinging the flute back before casting the orange energy below.

The orange cloud expanded around the ship and formed into multiple ships resembling the french warships of old sailing towards Captain Hardrock’s ship. The akuma rushed to the aft of the ship, desperate to steer her ship away from incoming armada. Spinning the steering wheel as fast as she could, Hardrock barely managed to move her ship out of the way of incoming cannonballs, unaware that it was just an illusion. Taking advantage of the knights being set off balance by the sudden movement, Ladyfox slid down the mast and jumped, drop-kicking a knight guarding Luka over the railing of the ship. As she moved to engage the remaining knights, she could hear Captain Hardrock ordering her cannons to take aim and fire at the incoming armada.

Suddenly, someone slammed into her from behind, knocking her over. Rolling to the side, she felt a chill down her spine as Darkblade drew his sword. How did she miss him? As she pushed herself back up, Ladyfox could feel the vibrations in the deck as the cannons fired again. As the illusion broke into orange dust, Darkblade fired his knighting ray at Luka. “Luka!” cried Ladyfox as she stared in shock as the newly knighted Luka was released from his chains. Outnumbered and running out of time, she pulled out her yoyo and pulled herself away from the ship. Without wasting a second, she was behind cover before Captain Hardrock could try to target her again.

“Tikki, Trixx, divide.” The fox kwami zipped out as Ladybug sagged against the wall behind her, giving Trixx a cookie from her yoyo to recharge. With Luka out of commission, the next best candidate for the snake miraculous was Adrien, who she left in the subway. Hopefully, he was still safe and hidden, then perhaps they could use a second chance to get to Scarlet Moth and his akuma power booster. Storing the fox miraculous back in her bug-phone, she was about to swing off when her bug-phone started ringing. “Kitty? Are you okay?”

“Pawsome, but Scarlet Moth got to Ryuko before I even arrived. She got akumatized and now I can’t even find her.”

“They got to Viperion before I could rescue him. He is one of Darkblade’s knights now. This leaves one more option: Adrien Agreste. He is supposed to be hiding in a subway near Collège Françoise Dupont. Get there as fast as you can before any akumas.” She hung up before Chat could reply, swinging off to the subway.

Chat Noir

Chat Noir managed to get to the subway before Ladybug, still unsure how to explain his alter ego's absence. He was tempted to go find Marinette and bring her with him so Ladybug could give her the mouse miraculous, but that may put Marinette in unnecessary danger and upset Ladybug. As he started down the stairway, Chat heard a soft thud land behind him. “Have you seen him yet?” He winced inwardly at the concern in her voice, knowing she wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Not yet, I just got here before you, bugaboo.” She nodded, not responding to the pet name. She rushed into the tunnels, calling out Adrien’s name as she went. Chat shook his head and followed, investigating the men's bathroom. “I don’t think he is here,” he reported, wincing again at the disappointment in her eyes. “How did you..”

“I ran into Marinette earlier,” Ladybug interrupted. “She told me where to find him.”

“But what about Marinette? She was amazing as Multimouse!”

“We can’t call upon her,” Ladybug said softly as she looked away. “Her identity had been exposed and she got hit by Darkblade’s knighting beam after she told me where to find Adrien.” Chat’s ears sank as Ladybug pulled out the miraculous intended for the backup heroes. “We need to plan a counterattack of some kind against Scarlet Moth, maybe find one of the backup heroes and free them from his influence.” Chat selected the snake, as Ladybug took the dragon from him. “Maybe we can find a group and ambush them, maybe even surprise Scarlet Moth himself?”

Before Chat could reply, a section of the roof caved in. Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Reflecta, Princess Fragrance, and Dark Cupid took up positions, readying their weapons to attack as the heroes stored away their extra miraculous.

Master Fu

Having already expected visitors, Fu made a fresh pot of tea. He was calmly drinking it when the wall along the street side of his room was erased. Evilustrator walked in, followed by Dark Owl and Stormy Weather. Lastly walked in Scarlet Moth, an unfamiliar akuma at his side. No doubt the source of Hawkmoth’s power boost, Fu mused as he poured a second cup. “So you are Hawkmoth, I’ve been expecting you.”

The villain swung his cane down onto the table, shattering the teapot. “The miraculous, where are they?” The villain noticed the box sitting on a dresser along the wall and examined it, noting the familiar symbol on the top matching the same one on the cover of his miracle book. Opening the box, Scarlet Moth growled as he realized it was empty. Turning on his heel, he pointed an accusing finger at the guardian, who was still sipping his tea calmly. “Where did you hide the miraculous?”

Fu gave the taller man a calm, defiant gaze. “Safe with Ladybug, who will never let you have them.”

Hawkmoth screamed in frustration, hurling the fake miracle box at Fu. The impact knocked the guardian over onto his stomach, winding him for a moment. As the guardian struggled to stand, he felt Hawkmoth lift him in the air. “You will talk and I will get my miraculous, one way or another.”


	4. Who won?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir push to end the fight.

Snake Noir

“Second chance!” Without speaking, the heroes charged towards the akuma’s. But before Dragonbug called out a power, something collided with her, pulling off an earring. “Second chance!” He called out as her transformation began to fade, In an instant, he was back right before the charge. When Ladybug charged forward, Snake Noir dashed to the side and grabbed the invisible form of Vanisher. Quickly grabbing her glasses, he snapped them, releasing the akuma and pointed a very confused Sabrina to the nearest restroom to hide. 

Dragon Bug caught the loose akuma, her back temporally turned on the rest of the villains. Dark Cupid, Lady Wifi, Bubbler, and Reflecta all opened fire. Snake Noir barely had time to shove Dragon Bug out of the way, causing the two of them to fall onto the subway tracks. “Careful, Bugaboo, not that I don’t enjoy saving you! But that’s the second time already! We need a plan!”

She nodded her thanks, eyeing the villains. “If I use my water dragon to knock them over, can you get Bubbler or Lady Wifi’s akuma?”

“Yeah, but why them?” he asked, giving her a curious glance. 

“Because they are Rena Rouge and Carapace,” she told him. “Water dragon!” She shifted into the water dragon form, sweeping through the akumas with ease. Dragon Bug managed to push both Bubbler and Lady Wifi towards him, allowing Snake Noir to smash their weapons, releasing the akumas. Dragon Bug didn’t waste any time catching the two butterflies, getting both in a single swing. She pulled out the fox and turtle, she handed them to the confused couple. 

As the two transformed, the remaining villains fled out the subway, not willing to face the four heroes without backup. “Plagg, Sass, divide!”

“Tikki, Longg, divide!” Both of the kwami’s flew out, hovering in front of the duo. Chat fed the two kwamis while Ladybug released the purified butterflies. Ladybug took the snake miraculous back from him and put it away before turning to Rena and Carapace. “It’s a similar situation as Heroes’ Day out there, but this time, the villain that is boosting Hawkmoth’s powers is out in the open instead of hiding somewhere. Just stick together. Chat will use his baton to give me a bird’s eye view. Hopefully from up there, we can spot the akuma and get to them before Scarlet Moth causes any more damage to the city.” The two backup heroes nodded, eager to follow Ladybug blindly into the face of danger.

Chat wasn’t so sure if he could trust them, knowing that they are really his best friends who turned a blind eye to his problems,but he trusted Ladybug and nothing could shake that as he followed her out into the open, ready to end this.

Catalyst

She never felt this powerless before. She was unable to directly fight in battle. Her sole purpose was to act as a power boost for Hawkmoth, something that seemed more fulfilling at first. But she wouldn’t be the one who crushed Ladybug this way. No, she was left with a pair of bodyguards who rather protect her than get the miraculous for Scarlet Moth. After learning that the miraculous were with Ladybug, he left her to hide with the Dark Owl and Evilustrator to defend her while sending the remaining villains to cause chaos. What his plan was, Catalyst didn’t know for sure. Hawkmoth had dragged the old man away, telling her to stay put. 

What she did know is that Marinette was out there and she was going to get rid of her once and for all. It irked her that Adrien had been spotted leaving with Marinette. If she found Marinette, she could take Adrien to be hers right in front of Marinette before ending her once and for all. She had attempted to get Hawkmoth to find Adrien earlier, but he shrugged her off. Apparently, the safety of his son meant little to him compared to getting the miraculous. But then again Gabriel Agreste never showed love for his son. The man just wanted his wife back, nothing else.

Catalyst started to head out of the warehouse Evilustrator drew up to keep anyone from spotting her, which, in her opinion, was pointless because it stood out like a sore thumb among the other buildings. It was red, why was it completely red? All the villains were even completely red, what was up with that?

Dark Owl dropped down in front of the entrance to block her from leaving. “You were ordered to remain here.”

“But I know where the heroes are. If we capture the miraculous ourselves, then Hawkmoth will let us make a wish as a reward. And you can wish for anything you want to...” She smirked as the akuma considered the offer.

“Okay, but we bring reinforcements. Let me bring Evilustrator along and call in Antibug at least.” Catalyst nodded, a smile on her face. All too easy.

Chat Noir

Chat swore Hawkmoth lost his marbles when he became Scarlet Moth. Once they were high enough, they immediately spotted the red warehouse. It was probably a trap, but Ladybug insisted they could make it there without setting off any alarms. With Rena Rouge and Carapace in tow, they raced across the rooftops hoping to catch the villains by surprise.

They were a block away when Carapace spotted them: three akumas were moving away from the warehouse. One of them wasn't completely red, giving away their identity as the original akuma. The heroes circled the akumatized villains, identifying Dark Owl and Evilustrator. 

Rena ran ahead and pulled her flute out. A few seconds later, an illusion of a concrete wall appeared in the way. The villains halted, hesitating long enough for the other three heroes to put their plan in action.

Chat and Ladybug shoved Dark Owl and Evilustrator together, timing perfectly with Carapace’s call of "Shelter!" A green bubble shield formed around the two villains just as they attempted to fight back. Owlrangs and boxing gloves bounced off the inside of the shield as the villains glared at the heroes. 

Ladybug inspected the power boost villain, who glared at her with intense hatred. "Just tell us where the akuma is so we can purify you." 

Catalyst knew she didn't stand a chance against the four heroes but that didn't mean she would have to cooperate with them. She just glared defiantly at the heroes. Chat looked her over as Ladybug tried to reason with the akumatized villain, looking for an object that stood out. His gaze settled on the necklace around her neck. Chat reached out and yanked the necklace off of her despite her protest. “Cataclysm!” The necklace crumbled to dust as the butterfly flew away, Catalyst transformed back into Lila as the victims trapped in the shield changed back into civilians. Carapace dropped his shield to let them out.

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she caught the akuma and cast the cure. “Lila?” Rena Rouge and Carapace both seemed shocked as well; Chat was just done. It had been a long morning and he was not in the mood to be kind to someone who probably helped Hawkmoth. 

“Seriously? Again Lila? What is this, the third or fourth time? Or even the fifth?”

“Dude, chill out.” Carapace glared at him as he moved to help Lila. Rena nodded her head in sympathetic agreement as she moved to put an arm around Lila protectively. “She was under Hawkmoth’s control.”

“Hey, it was a serious question,” Chat added. “Heroes day was confusing, there were akuma’s everywhere! And today she just happened to become an akuma that boosts his power when a large group of people are upset?” 

“She couldn’t help being upset. Everyone was yelling at each other and she ran away.” Rena glared at him, moving protectively in between him and Lila.

“Oh, and she just happened to turn into the perfect akuma for Hawkmoth by chance? Some fluke if you ask me.” Chat spit the words out angrily. 

Ladybug sighed, “Chat, simmer down and take Rena and Carapace somewhere to get their miraculous back. I’ll meet you later to take them back to the Guardian after I take care of Lila.” With one last meaningful glare at Chat, she swung off with Lila.

He sighed and led them into a nearby alleyway. They released their transformations and glared at him as they handed over the miraculous. Without even saying goodbye, Chat batoned himself onto the nearby rooftop. Making sure no one could see him, Chat released his transformation and fed Plagg without saying anything. Plagg eyed him as he slowly ate his cheese, deciding to let his Chosen to have some quiet for a while. Any minute, father of the year will demand his son to do some ridiculous list of tasks. Once he was ready, Adrien transformed again and vaulted off towards school. 

Adrien

He was sitting in his room barely an hour later, the Gorilla having come to the school early to pick Adrien up and bring him home, when it happened. Reporter Nadja Chamack came on the screen with a grim look on her face. “Good evening, Paris. Tonight, I have some grim news related to the latest terrorist attack by Hawkmoth. One of the residents of downtown has been taken hostage by Hawkmoth. A security camera across the street had captured the act and we have been provided the footage. Before we play it, we must warn viewers this footage is extremely graphic and will not be censored in any way.” 

The footage played showing a small ice cream parlor Adrien didn’t recognize sitting across the street from the camera’s location. Then the Evilustrator came into view and used his tablet to erase the wall of the building. Adrien froze as he recognized Master Fu drinking tea calmly. Hawkmoth, Catalyst, Dark Owl, and Stormy Weather moved into view, entering the building. Hawkmoth grabbed something that appeared to be the miracle box Ladybug had described it to him one time.

Hawkmoth inspected the box before throwing it across the room at the Guardian, knocking the old man over. Adrien’s eyes widened as the terrorist hauled Fu off of the ground, the Guardian helpless in the villain’s grasp. The villains left with the captured Guardian, Fu struggling to escape. Plagg dropped to the table, his cheese was forgotten as he stared at the screen with his Chosen. The guardian was taken by Hawkmoth?

Nadja Chamack came back on the screen, her expression more upset than before. “The victim has been identified as Wang Fu. The intent behind the kidnapping is still being determined, though the police report that the symbols on the box found on the scene of the crime match those found on the recent posts by Alya Césaire on the Ladyblog.” She pointed out, “the symbols of the Tibetan statues match those found in ancient history, theorizing that historical figures used the miraculous in the past. Could this man be some sort of ally to Ladybug and Chat Noir?” The reporter cleared her throat, then asked the audience, “Ladybug and Chat Noir have always protected the people from Hawkmoth, why did this man get captured?”

Adrien shut the tv off, nothing good was going to follow that up. Master Fu was taken captive. The news was blaming the heroes for it as well, it seemed, rather than blame the guilty one. Adrien scowled as he thought of Hawkmoth laughing at the news. “Do they really expect us to be able to do everything? Where are the freaking black ops guys? We are just teenagers!” Plagg didn’t respond, staring at the black tv screen in silence. “I’m sorry, Plagg. Are you okay?”

Before the kwami could respond, the door by his skate ramp clicked open. Plagg phased under the table as Gabriel walked in. “Adrien, I take it you have been watching the news?” Adrien nodded, not sure if he would like where this was headed. “Then you see the dangers of going out into the world. You would be much better suited to remain in the mansion and return to homeschooling. Then you won’t risk being kidnapped like that old man.”

“But father, public school is the only thing I am allowed to do that I like,” Adrien insisted, standing up and turning to face his father. “All my friends are there.”

“Ms. Rossi has permission to visit you,” Gabriel stated as if it could make up for the loss of the rest of his friends at school.

“Lila is not my friend, she is the one person I rather not be around. She gets akumatized like every other week. If you want me to be safe, then keep me away from her.”

Gabriel strode towards Adrien and glared down at him. “You would be wise to consider my advice, son. I know what's best for you, which is for you to stay indoors.” 

Gabriel turned his back on Adrien and was about to take a step towards the door when he heard Adrien mutter, “Except when it’s profitable for the brand.” 

Gabriel whirled around and backhanded his son. Adrien was knocked off his feet by the force of the blow, falling on the table’s corner. Adrien yelped in pain, rolling over on the floor as Gabriel’s face burned with anger. “Disrespect me again and I will ensure you are pulled out of school.” Without another word, Gabriel exited the room, leaving his son lying on the floor.

Plagg zipped out of his hiding space, upset to see his Chosen mistreated by his father. “I’m sorry, kid.”

Adrien turned his head to look at the kwami, a bruise forming on his left cheek where Gabriel hit him. “It’s not your fault, Plagg.” Adrien stayed there for some time, only getting up when Nathalie called him for the sorry excuse of a dinner he was allowed to have. Once night fell, he transformed and left, hoping to find the one person who might bring up his spirits.

Ladybug

After having another pointless conversation with Lila, Ladybug decided to return the miraculous she had to Master Fu. She would be able to collect Chat’s at patrol that night, so she wasn’t too concerned.

When she arrived at Master Fu’s ice cream parlor, Marinette was shocked to find the police there. Using her bug-phone, she gasped at the sight of a hawaiian jacket being carried out by a crime scene officer. The officer placed it into a cruiser and took off. Following it to the police station, she managed to see where the evidence was going to be locked up. Later on, a red-eyed Marinette watched the news, listening to the accusation against Ladybug and Chat Noir for not protecting the lives of the city. Nadja Chamack went on to state that Fu’s belongings that were found at the crime scene will be held in police lockup for further investigation. Marinette sat up at that, paying close attention to the broadcast. There was no mention of what items were in lockup but she needed some kind of clue where the rest of the miraculous were.

Now she would be breaking into the Paris police department’s evidence lockup. Not a good sight to see with how the media was turning the public opinion against the heroes. Taking out both of the security cameras, Ladybug quickly rushed to the front desk. On the desk rested a couple of evidence bags, left out either due to incompetence or lady luck. Inspecting the bags, she quickly learned they were all Master Fu’s belongings found in the building. Grabbing the bags, Ladybug rushed back out, avoiding an officer returning to the evidence lockup.

Praying the officer didn’t notice the damaged security cameras or missing evidence, Ladybug pulled herself away. A black shadow followed her, staying a few meters back. Finally, Ladybug stopped on a rooftop, reassuring herself that no one could see her up there. “What are you up to, Bugaboo?”

Ladybug jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of her partner. “Chat, what are you doing here?” 

He shrugged as he walked over. “Needed to clear my head. I was going to check in on a friend of mine, but she didn’t appear to be home.” His green eyes narrowed at her as he continued, “Then my staff phone told me you were at the police station. A quick survey made it clear you weren’t there because they called you there. So, care to tell me what you broke in for?” 

Ladybug held out the bags for him to see, telling him, “These were left when Master Fu was taken by Hawkmoth. I’m hoping there will be a letter or a clue to the location of the other miraculous.”

“So, let's see what there is!” Chat said, a little too impatient he knew but he was on edge since the news first rolled in.

Ladybug nodded and opened the first bag: Master Fu’s phone. She sighed in relief, as Chat gave her a confused look. “It has the translated version of the Miracle Book on it,” she explained. “If Hawkmoth got his hands on it, he would have access to power-ups as well.”

Chat nodded his understanding, motioning her to open the next bag. She pulled out an old photo of a woman Chat felt like he knew, but didn’t quite recognize. “Who is she?” he asked Ladybug.

A sad smile formed on Ladybug’s face. “This is Marianne Lenoir, Master Fu’s lover. He had me bring her a love letter one time he felt sick, but I messed that up pretty bad. I ended up giving her the letter I wrote for my crush, Master Fu’s prescription to my crush, and Master Fu’s love letter to the guy at the drugstore. She got akumatized into Backwarder as a result.”

Chat let out a short laugh, something familiar about the situation. It hurt him to hear Ladybug talk about her crush, but he knew that wasn’t her intention. He looked at the final bag, wondering what it may hold. 

As if reading his thoughts, Ladybug opened the final bag. She frowned at the item, then held it out for him to see. It was a locker key, he realized, a gym name and locker number on it as she said “Maybe Master Fu hid something in this locker! A clue or even the Miracle Box itself!”

“Then let's go get it!” Chat knew what her response would be before she opened her mouth, but he hoped he was wrong.

“I’m sorry Kitty, but this locker is in a public area. We can’t show up as heroes or we will draw too much attention.” She looked away as she continued, “You know that we can’t reveal our identities either.”

“What are you so afraid of?” Chat asked, throwing his hands out. “That I won’t like you outside of the mask?”

Ladybug glared at him, fury burning in her eyes. “You seriously think that I’m so insecure about myself that I would make a rule so my partner will never be disappointed in me?” She got right in Chat’s face, staring him in the eyes. “We keep our identities secret so that those we love can stay safe. The last thing I need is someone I love getting hurt because of your need to express your feelings.”

Ladybug stalked away towards the edge of the roof. She was about to throw her yoyo when she heard Chat murmur, “I’m sorry.”

“I know, kitty. We both had a rough day. I’ll talk to you later.” With that she left him alone on the rooftop with his thoughts, intent on finding the Miracle Box. After staying there for some time, Chat headed back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

Landing softly on Marinette’s balcony, he knocked on the trapdoor. Just like his earlier attempts, it had gone unanswered. Sighing, Chat left for home, unaware of the blue eyes watching him with concern just a block away. 

The next morning: Adrien

When he got home last night, he got a message from Ladybug. She found the Miracle Box and it was safe. She asked him to meet her the next night for a patrol to talk about it. That made him feel a little bit better. He had a hard time sleeping that night, the image of Fu being dragged away by Hawkmoth stuck in his mind. 

As Adrien sat up, he felt the pain in his cheek. It was going to be painful covering up the bruise, but Adrien knew he couldn’t go around looking like he was abused. That would only make it worse for the brand and his father would take it out on him. Plagg watched him apply the cover-up through narrowed eyes, thinking of Gabriel’s personal items that he could cataclysm without getting caught.

Finally presentable, Adrien went to the dining room. Natalie was waiting with a schedule in hand, a plate with a small amount of food on it. “Father isn’t joining us?”

“No, your father is meeting the mayor this morning.” She looked up from her tablet and placed it on the table so Adrien could see the screen. “It’s about to start.”

Adrien was about to ask her what she was referring to when the mayor appeared on the screen. André Bourgeois stood behind a podium, his wife Audrey on one side of him, Gabriel Agreste on the other side. “After the horrible incident yesterday, I, André Bourgeois, as mayor of Paris, am now forced to call Ladybug and Chat Noir to cease their mindless vigilantism. They are to unmask and hand over their miraculous to the city government so that trained professionals can get the job done right. They have until midnight before a manhunt will start to find and arrest them. A courthouse and time will be chosen for them to meet with us and explain their actions.”


	5. See you in court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the law after them, what will our heroes do?

Adrien 

“Tonight at seven pm, Ladybug and Chat Noir are expected to show up at Palais de Justice de Paris to unmask and hand over their miraculous. The mayor will be present along with Gabriel Agreste and other notable figures in Paris. Ladybug and Chat Noir will be questioned and required to tell everything they know about the miraculous.” Nadja Chamack went on about other news, but Adrien had stopped listening.

Adrien groaned, the whole thing was clearly set up for Hawkmoth to just waltz in and take what he wanted with no resistance. There was no way the mayor actually expected them to go along with this. Natalie’s tablet vibrated, a FaceTime request from his father sliding into view. 

Natalie answered the call, “Sir, what do you require?”

“Please inform Adrien that he will be attending the trial this evening with me.” 

Adrien moved into view, looking at his father. “Father, please. I have fencing and a photoshoot before that and I will be too exhausted to attend the trial.”

“You will go where I say when I say,” Gabriel growled. “Be on time. You represent the brand and I expect you to behave properly.” Translation: sit still and look pretty. Without another word, Gabriel hung up. Natatie walked away, leaving Adrien alone.

Marinette 

She was watching the news, eyes narrowed. The whole thing smelled like a trap, there was no way she or Chat would actually go there. None of the backup heroes could be sent either, it was just too dangerous and they didn’t deserve to be arrested for it. She would need a plan.

Grabbing her bag, she headed down to the kitchen. Sabine had breakfast set out for her already, still watching the news. “Why are they wasting their time accusing those who have protected us for so long. There is a terrorist on the loose and they are playing politics.” Sabine turned to smile at Marinette as she entered the kitchen. “Helllo, dear. Hopefully today goes better than yesterday.” 

Marinette nodded, just as Nadja Chamack came back on the screen. “In light of recent events, the schools are closed today to ensure the safety of students. They will be reopened again tomorrow.”

Sabine sighed, “Another reason why the mayor should be more focused on Hawkmoth. If they find and arrest him instead, then perhaps we wouldn’t have to worry everytime you go to school.”

Marinette nodded. The break meant she wouldn’t have to deal with Lila and her lies, but she still had to find a way to get the city off their back. The trial meant they shouldn't be running out and about tonight. The police would no doubt be watching out for them after they don’t show up to turn themselves and their miraculous in. She ate her breakfast, gears in her mind turning as a plan formed.

  
Chat Noir

He ran across the rooftops Naruto style, leaning forwards with his arms stretched out behind him. Ladybug called him for an early patrol to discuss the recent developments and asked to meet at the top of the Eiffel Tower. As Chat pole vaulted across the open space onto the Eiffel Tower, civilians pointed at him as he flashed by. Ever since yesterday, public opinion of Ladybug and Chat Noir had sunk. With the video of Hawkmoth kidnapping a civilian and the mayor calling for the heroes to turn themselves in, the media simply pushed the idea that heroes had failed. 

With that, the people of Paris ate it up, rallying behind the mayor who already had the support of the city elite, including his father. Chat snarled at the thought as he perched himself on his and Ladybug’s favourite spot. Of course his father would be part of the group. He already was trying to ruin everything else in his life, why not this too?

The all too familiar yoyo wrapped around and overhead support and Ladybug zipped up, landing on the platform next to him. “Sorry I’m late Kitty. Was a bit hard escaping my civilian life.”

Chat shrugged as she sat down on the ledge next to him. “No worries, I understand how difficult it can be.”

The pair sat in silence for a moment, looking out at the city. Then Ladybug turned to him and said, “You saw the news?” Chat nodded affirmatively, still watching the civilians below. “You know we can’t show up right? It would be too risky and we can’t let the miraculous fall in the wrong hands.”

“Did you find the Miracle Box?”

“Yes, and a couple of letters.” Ladybug opened her yoyo and pulled out an envelope. She handed it to him, which he accepted. Rather than his name, it was addressed to Chat Noir. “Mine was addressed to Ladybug but it got more personal when I opened it.” She closed her yoyo and replaced it at her hip. “I need to find Marianne Lenoir yet. Master Fu left a letter for her as well.”

“Do you mind if I ask what did Master Fu say to you in your letter?” Chat asked, holding the envelope tightly. 

Ladybug nodded her understanding. “He left me the Miracle Box, declaring me the new guardian of the miraculous. Until Hawkmoth is defeated, I am tasked to guard the Miracle Box.” She sighed and continued, “Once we get the butterfly and peacock back, then the Miracle Box must be returned to the Order of the Guardians.”

“So we will have to give up our miraculous?”

“Purrhaps?”

Chat stared at her in shock. “Did you just…”

“It slipped out,” she defended. “I have been spending too much time around you.” Chat laughed as she dropped her face in her hands. 

Deciding to let her off the hook, Chat changed the subject. “So what’s our game plan tonight?”

“I'm not absolutely sure, but I might have a way to send a message and still be able to leave without getting captured.” She frowned, the look of concentration Chat admired so many times forming. “I need to talk to Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you remember her? Cute girl who was Multimouse?”

Chat nodded, “Yeah, I remember her.”

Ladybug smirked, “You thought she was cute?” Chat blushed as she giggled, realizing too late what she did. He tried to talk, but only gibberish came out. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell her,” she teased, enjoying the sight of her flustered partner. “Anyways, I was planning on asking her to be Multimouse again. She is a wild card most people don’t know about. If they choose to try and arrest her instead of listening, she can shrink down and evade capture.”

Chat frowned, “Wouldn’t that put her in danger?”

“Aww, are you concerned?” she teased, getting another blush out of Chat. Much more of this and she would be convinced Chat had a crush on her civilian side. “Don’t worry, if Marinette doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t have to.” 

“When are you going to ask her?” Chat inquired, face still red. Why was he embarrassed so much?

“This afternoon. I want to make sure no one follows or spots me when I do it.” 

“I might be able to pull that off before lunchtime,” Chat offered. When Ladybug gave him a questioning look, he shrugged. “I've been there a few times and know a few ways to get there discreetly.”

Ladybug smirked at him as she pulled out the mouse miraculous. “And how do you know of these discreet ways?”

“I visit Princess once in a while.” Chat realized he messed up again too late as Ladybug’s smirk grew into a grin. “What?”

“It’s just I never heard you call anyone princess before. Is she special or you call all the other girls that?” Ladybug asked him.

Chat looked at her in the eyes and said, “Just her. Marinette is different, like you. I’ll go there at lunch time. I need to make an appearance at home first.” Taking the mouse miraculous, Chat left a stunned Ladybug alone. It took a few moments for her to recover. Chat thought she was special outside of the mask?

Marinette 

When she finally got home, it was only an hour before Chat was supposed to arrive. She busied herself making a new design, a Chat Noir themed pajama set. It probably wasn’t the smartest move to work on said design on her balcony where Chat was bound to show up sooner or later. She knew he would make some kind of flirty remark but she didn’t care.

She almost had the design just right when Chat Noir landed with a soft thud on the roof behind her. “Hello purrincess!” The cat themed hero greeted her. Marinette didn’t look up, intent on getting her design just right. She hummed at him, putting the finishing touches on the sketch.

Setting down her pencil, she looked up at him, “If you came looking for free food, you better give me a good reason to feed you.” Then she realized he was staring intently at the sketchbook, a shade of red on his cheeks. “What? Never seen a girl make sleepwear based off of you? Wait until you see the underwear sketches.” Chat’s face grew redder, clearly thinking about what she said. Marinette grabbed the broom left out from the last time she swept the balcony and hit him lightly in the face. “Hey, get your head out of the gutter.”

“I wasn’t thinking of that,” Chat sputtered, face red with embarrassment. He hopped down to stand in front of her and pulled out the mouse miraculous. “I take it you’ve seen the news lately?” Marinette’s teasing persona dropped as she nodded. “Ladybug and I can’t afford to risk going to the trial tonight, that could endanger the whole city.” Marinette nodded again, sitting up straighter. “What do you think?”

“I think the mayor should stop wasting time trying to arrest you and Ladybug. There is a missing civilian and I hear he hasn’t done anything yet to even try to find him,” she scowled. “He has been using the kidnapping to forward some kind of anti-hero agenda that would just hurt the city.”

Chat nodded approvingly, this is exactly how he hoped she would feel. “That's how Ladybug and I feel too. So on behalf of Ladybug and I, I would like to ask you if you would be willing to go as Multimouse and plead our case. This way if they try to arrest you, you can shrink down and escape.”

Marinette nodded, determination in her eyes. “Yes, you can count on me.”

Chat smiled as he pulled out the mouse miraculous. “Then I give you the miraculous of the mouse to use wisely and let the people know the truth. When this mission is over, I will retrieve the miraculous from you.” 

Marinette accepted the necklace from him and put it on. It flashes and Mullo zips out. “Hi, Marinette! Is there another akuma?”

“No, Mullo. Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything later.” The kwami accepted the explanation and rested on her shoulder. Marinette looked back to Chat Noir, saying, “I got this, Chat Noir. I won’t let you down!”

“Thank you, purrincess!” The cat themed superhero saluted and jumped off the balcony, making his way carefully across the city. Marinette smiled again and then looked back at her sketch. Deciding she had time to start making it, she climbed back into her room. Tikki came out of her hiding spot and played with Mullo while Marinette went to work measuring pieces of cloth for cutting. 

  
  


The Agrestes 

Adrien toweled off after his hot shower. It was relaxing after his busy afternoon. Thankfully this shoot didn’t include Lila this time, a simple solo shoot. But fencing with Kagami had drained him, her style getting faster and more aggressive each day. Now he was in his room with barely any time before the trial. Adrien walked over to his computer desk and looked at the letter from Fu. It was meant as a last will he figured and wanted to be able to take some time to read it over, not be rushed through it. Hiding it in his bottom desk drawer, Adrien got dressed and applied make up to the bruise on his cheek. Satisfied he looked presentable, Adrien went to meet his father in the front lobby.

Gabriel felt eager. He had manipulated other members of the city elite into helping him pressure André Bourgeois into turning on the heroes. Now a large portion of the city was supportive of the heroes unmasking and handing over their miraculous. If the young miraculous wielders gave into the pressure placed on them, Gabriel would soon be able to swipe the miraculous with ease. And their mentor was locked away where no one would find him. If Gabriel somehow didn’t get the miraculous tonight, then he will break the Guardian and get the answers he needed from him.

He strode down the stairs, Adrien and Natalie waiting for him by the front door. Without saying a word, he led the way to the car. The Gorilla opened the door for them and waited patiently for them to get in. In a few moments, they were on the road, only a few minutes from the courthouse. Gabriel gave his son a cold stare and reminded him, “You are only there to represent the brand. No speaking at all, just still there and look professional.”

Adrien nodded, feeling sick about the entire thing. The small smile forming on his father’s face didn’t help, sending chills down Adrien’s spine. Natalie too had a small satisfied smile on her face. What did they have to be happy about? 

Gorilla stopped in front of the courthouse entrance, police forming a protected path for officials and other celebrities attending to get in safety. Adrien followed his father and Natalie into the courthouse, taking a seat in the first bench behind the prosecutors table. On both sides, a pair of armed military soldiers stood at attention.

To his surprise, Chloe was sitting at the defendants table, shooting her parents a glare. She noticed Adrien and flashed him a quick smile before returning to glaring at her parents. Adrien felt his heart warm a little, the fact that someone was there to defend the heroes. Adrien heard his father murme to Natalie, “Clearly after I finish helping André run his city, I should help him run his household.” Adrien felt sick again, knowing his father’s preferred parenting methods were much different than he expected.

After a few more minutes of people entering and finding their seats, the judge hit his gavel and the bailiff called the court to order. “We are here to discuss the matter of super powered vigilantes that have no oversight.”

“Excuse me, but do you not realize that the miraculous are above your pay grade?” Chloe interrupted, drawing sighs from everyone else in the courtroom.

“Ms. Bourgeois, if you could keep your comments until it is your time to speak, otherwise you will be removed from this trial.” Chloe rolled her eyes and flicked her ponytail, but remained silent. “Could the prosecutors please make their opening statement.”

André Bourgeois stood up and walked in front of the court. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is no trial, but an offer to get off easy. If Ladybug and Chat Noir don’t show up, then I will have no choice but to start a manhunt to find them. These powers are too dangerous to leave in the hands of children who do not know the true responsibility for their actions. An elite team of trained individuals should have these miraculous, not children. So I pray that Ladybug and Chat Noir come to their senses and listen to their betters before something worse happens.” With that André took his seat again, a satisfied smirk on his face. 

Chloe didn’t wait for the judge to tell her to make her statement, already moving to the front before her father sat down. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she addressed politely, surprising the audience. “As you have noticed, my father is clearly abusing city resources for his own personal gain. Rather than search for a kidnapped man, he listens to a group of elitists who want the miraculous for themselves. Why would he wait until now to get the military involved?” Chloe asked, guestering at the soldiers guarding the room.

André cleared his throat and stood up again. “I’m sorry, but are you really the best person to be lecturing about power abuse, Queen Bee? When you first obtained powers, you paralyzed a subway operator and almost caused the deaths of over a hundred people. Why should we take advice from a failed hero on this matter?” Chloe’s face was filled with hurt as others in the room began to murmur in agreement with the mayor.

Just as the judge began to call for order, the doors burst open. Everyone turned around, expecting to see Ladybug and Chat Noir. Instead of the two heroes, Multimouse stood confidently in the doorway, a confident smirk on her face. “I’m sorry, but someone asked for a hero?”

André stood up to glare at the interruption. “Who do you think you are?”

“I’m Multimouse and I am here to make a few statements on behalf of Ladybug and Chat Noir.” She strode down the aisle, ignoring the people staring and the cold glare of Gabriel Agreste. “For starters, the miraculous can never fall in the wrong hands. Ladybug and Chat Noir have been chosen because they would never abuse their powers. Ladybug chose us temporary heroes because she knew she could trust us. We know what can happen when a miraculous is in the hands of a person who can abuse the power. Hawkmoth stole his miraculous,we are trying to get it back. As for unmasking, don’t hold your breath. We love our families and do not want them to get hurt because we did the ‘right’ thing.”

“Which brings me to my next point. What have you been doing this whole time?” Multimouse pointed at André. “Hawkmoth has been attacking Paris for some time now and you haven’t even lifted a finger to help except when your little girl was in danger. Yesterday a man was kidnapped and you are working against us instead of finding him? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have been working with Hawkmoth.” That started a murmur around the room, looks of suspicion thrown in André’s direction.

“If the city doesn’t take action against a known terrorist but instead tries to arrest those trying to stop him, then what does that say to the world about Paris?” Multimouse continued, addressing the officials in the audience. “Stop wasting your time fighting the wrong battle.”

“Arrest her!” a red faced André demanded. The soldiers moved in on Multimouse, intent on arresting her.

The mouse themed hero smirked at the mayor. “Don’t mess with Ladybug and Chat Noir, they don't have time to waste on you and your petty desires. Multitude!” In a flash of pink, Multimouse shrank down and Adrien managed to spot multiple Multimice sneaking out of the room while everyone else looked around in confusion. 

André attempted to recover but everyone got up and left, no longer supportive of his motion. Adrien smiled, only to shudder at the cold anger of his father’s face. His father didn’t say anything on the ride home. Once inside, he told Natalie he will be working on his project and left without another word.

Adrien went to his room, the memory of Multimouse, or rather Marinette, standing up to the mayor. If she could stick up for others like that, he should be able to stand up for himself right? Maybe not outright, just little things.

He remembered the letter from Fu and he retrieved it from his desk. Plagg zipped off to his cheese stash, saying something about how a kwami wasn’t allowed to read a Guardian’s last message. Opening it, Adrien found a folded piece of paper and a smaller envelope inside. Setting the second envelope aside, Adrien carefully unfolded the letter and read it.

_Adrien, Chat Noir_

_It is my greatest wish that you will never have to read this letter, but we can not control everything. I fear I had to sacrifice my memory or worse, my life, to keep the miraculous out of Hawkmoth’s grasp. I have left Ladybug the miracle box, she is now the Guardian of the miraculous. Please help her guard them, she will need your support in the coming trials ahead. I have also left an envelope containing Ladybug’s secret identity. If you need to know her identity, open it. But respect her rules and boundaries, she has been thrust in a new role that I haven’t been able to train her enough for._

_I am counting on you, Adrien. I knew from the moment you helped me up that you would be a great miraculous wielder, using your powers for good. Beware those who will try to make you stray from the path of good. Be strong, Adrien, for the sake of Paris. Ladybug will always be at your side, never doubt that._

_I hope you have a good life, Adrien._

_Sincerely,_

_Wang Fu._

Adrien frowned at the second envelope, then hid it along with the letter back in his desk drawer. Unless a need arose for him to know Ladybug’s identity, he would not open it. Adrien went to bed, mind set at no longer being pushed around.


	6. Wake Up Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gives Adrien a piece of her mind.

Adrien

As he was dropped off in front of school the next morning just in time to catch Marinette. “Hey, Mari! Wait up!” 

She turned around and smiled at him, waiting at the base of the steps as he ran over. “Hi Adrien!” Her happy expression changed to one of concern instantly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Adrien lied, hoping she would buy it. “How about you?”

“I’ll be okay, I just hope the class doesn’t dissolve into chaos like Tuesday.” Adrien nodded his head in agreement. The two of them were just in time to see everyone else enter the room. Once again, the seating had changed. Sabrina wasn’t in the front with Lila, but Juleka was sitting next to Chloe instead. Sabrina was behind Alya and Nino in Juleka’s old seat, comforting a sad Rose. 

Marinette gave him a sad smile and went to the back row where she had been sitting the previous day. Adrien moved to follow, only for Lila to latch on to him. “Adrien,” she said in her fake, sweet, helpless voice. “Could you please help me with taking notes? I hurt my wrist again yesterday.” 

Alya and Nino both gave him expectant looks, clearly believing whatever Lila told them. He sighed and moved to sit in his regular seat, Lila still clinging to him sitting next to him. “Thank you so much, Adrien. You are so nice to me.” She leaned closer and kissed his cheek. His left cheek. The same cheek his father had struck him earlier that week. Adrien usually cringed around Lila but now he did his best not to yelp in pain. 

Marinette watched him, first noticing he wasn’t comfortable when Lila started clinging to him. Marinete saw Lila pull Adrien down to sit next to her, jealousy burning inside her. Suddenly, Lila kissed Adrien’s cheek and he shuddered? Did Adrien just shudder? Or was it a wince? Marinette watched him through narrowed eyes, concern over taking her jealousy.

Adrienette chat

Adrien was on his way to the locker room to put away his books from the last period when Marinette suddenly popped up and pulled him into an empty classroom. He was about to ask her what was going on when she held a finger to her lips. Adrien remained silent, unsure what was going on. A moment later, he heard Lila walk past with Alya and Nino calling, “Adrien, where are you? We need to get a table for lunch!”

A few moments later, they couldn’t hear anyone outside anymore. Adrien gave Marinette a look of gratitude. “Thanks, Lila seems to think I like it when she invades my personal space.”

Marinette frowned at him, asking, “If you don’t like it, then why do you let her? I’ve seen the photos from shoots and I saw you with her this morning. Only a blind man could miss the look of discomfort you have when she gets clingy. This morning you were cringing when she touched you and even winced when she kissed you.”

“It’s okay…”

“It’s not okay, Adrien!” Her tone mixed with anger and concern surprised him. This wasn’t the cold tone of his father or the sickly sweet tone of Lila, but concern that he only heard from Ladybug after he sacrificed himself for her. “If you don’t like it, then tell her to back off. She shouldn’t be touching you like that without your permission anyways! Only people who are dating act like that or even close friends. Which, the last time I checked, you two are not.”

Adrien tried to sputter out an excuse, “But Nino and Alya…”

“Damn Nino and Alya,” Marinette spat. “If they really cared for your well being, then why didn’t they pull Lila off of you? I can see from the back row that you are uncomfortable, why can’t they see it? Why did Nino switch seats just so Lila could sit next to you?”

“Because I can help her with homework…”

“She doesn’t need help, we both know that. And if she needed help with literature so badly, then why doesn’t Alya help her? You already have a packed schedule and I deliver notes for your missed classes all the time.” Adrien found himself backed in a corner by Marinette’s arguments. “The class is splitting, Adrien. I’d recommend getting on the side that cares for you before it's too late.” Marinette started towards the door, turning back to say, “I’ll always be there for you, Adrien, but you gotta make some decisions for your own well being.” She walked out, leaving Adrien alone with his thoughts. Once again, Marinette’s words had got to him. The fact that she was visibly concerned for him also drove her words deeper.

As Marinette walked out of the room, Nino ducked out of her sight. Alya asked him to find Adrien while she and Lila went to save them a spot in the cafeteria. But after hearing Marinette just now, Nino wasn’t sure what to think. He had noticed Adrien’s discomfort before, but Alya dismissed it as the early stages of them dating. Lila had even told them that she and Adrien had started dating but wanted it to be secret so people like Marinette didn’t overreact. Now Nino just didn’t know what to believe.

Adrien walked out of the room, frowning as he looked around. He spotted Nino and waved, “Nino, what’s up?”

“Wanna go out for lunch? Just us two bros?” Adrien smiled and nodded. As he went to put away his books, Nino pulled out his phone and texted Alya.

Nino:  _ Adrien and I are going out for lunch _

Alya:  _ OK, Lila and I are on our way, where are we going? _

Nino:  _ Sorry, just bros this time. Maybe next time you two can join. TTYL! _

Nino silenced his phone and put it in his pocket just as Adrien returned. Adrien stopped suddenly and pulled his phone frowning at the messages. “It’s Alya and Lila. They are both asking me where we are going.”

“Don’t answer, bro. They can survive one lunch without us.” Adrien nodded and put his phone away.  It had been a while since he and Nino hung out together. After Nino and Alya started dating, she would join them most of the time dragging Marinette along. Then Lila pushed Marinette out and Adrien began to dislike the group outings. It felt good to go back to simpler times.

  
  


Adrien

When he and Nino got back from lunch, Adrien felt a little bit better. They walked into class where Alya glared at them, clearly not happy that they took some guy time together. Lila jumped up at the sight of them rushing around to latch on as Nino moved to sit down next to Alya. “Adrien! I missed you so much! Did you not get my texts?”

Adrien rolled his eyes, she had sent constant texts. At first they started as simple questions but quickly switched to threats, saying he better respond or else. “Yes, I got them, but as Nino said, we wanted to be alone for lunch.”

Lila pouted at him, “But I wanted to spend time with you. Did you get Natalie’s text? We are doing another shoot together!”

Adrien groaned, not excited at all. “Yes, I know.” He caught Marinette eyeing him from the back row, her silent message clear. 

But it was Alya who broke the camel’s back. “Adrien, you can’t just run off and make plans like that without talking to your girlfriend first. Lila was so hurt when you left without saying anything.”

Adrien shook off Lila, forcing her to let go of him. “One, don’t touch me ever again. I don’t care if you want to or my father says you have to, it's never gonna happen again. Two, I don’t care what you are telling people, we are not dating. We never have and never will.”

Alya’s face grew red, “How dare you say…”

“Say what? The truth?” Adrien snapped at her. She opened her mouth to try and talk again, but Adrien cut Alya off again. “No! I’m talking now, you are listening. I don’t like the way Lila touches me, I don’t like the way she lies, and I certainly don’t like it when she tries to use me for everything and you help her. I am done. Lila is a liar and I am done hoping that she will change.” With that Adrien turned his back on them and walked up the stairs to the back row. Marinette gave him a smile as he sat down next to her.

Lila ran up after him, seeming like she was about to cry. Once she was out of the rest of the class’ earshot, Lila snarled at Adrien, “Fall in line or I will tell your father.”

Marinette glared at her while Adrien simply stated, “What? That I won’t help you with your homework that you missed because you stayed home from school?”

Lila glared at him, then turned away and put on the waterworks. “I can’t believe you would leave me just because I won’t sleep with you!” Alya gasped and rushed to comfort Lila while shooting a glare at Marinette and Adrien. While most of Lila’s side of the class tried to comfort the sobbing girl, Nino looked away, knowing something wasn’t right.

Alya took Adrien’s spot as Ms. Bustier walked in. She looked over her students' new seating arrangement and decided to follow school policy: let the students sort themselves out.

Adrien

Class was much more enjoyable sitting next to Marinette instead of Lila. She let him have his personal space to himself and didn’t try to touch him when he didn’t want to be touched. When school let out, he texted his driver to take Lila ahead, he had to stay late to get homework for a friend. Lila didn’t know what was going on when the Gorilla took off without waiting for Adrien. Her texts came with all sorts of threats, but Adrien didn’t care. The photoshoot was in the park, so he could walk Marinette home before going there. Maybe he could get a treat from the bakery too.

Adrien caught Marinette just as she was leaving the locker room. “Hey Marinette, mind if I walk you home?”

For a moment, Marinette was back under the umbrella on the second day of school in the rain. She shook herself out of it, stuttering out, “Ye-yeah, I mean if you-ou want to-oo.” She cursed herself, why did start stuttering again now? She had no problem talking to him earlier, what was so different?

Adrien beamed at her, making her melt inside. “Awesome.” They walked out of the school in silence, passing Alya and Nino on the way. Alya was ranting and gesturing wildly while Nino appeared to be listening to music with earbuds. He gave the pair a small wave, Alya not even noticing them pass. Once they were walking the front steps, Adrien said, “Thanks for telling me what I needed to hear earlier. I really needed that and I’m sorry I didn’t help you earlier with Lila. I made a deal with her thinking she actually would change, but she just played me again.” He sighed, “I never should have told you to take the high road. Clearly it didn’t work so well.”

“It’s not your fault entirely, Adrien.” Marinette sighed as she looked down, admitting, “I guess I should have listened when she threatened me last month.”

Adrien frozen, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Marinette looked back at him, the anger in his emerald eyes sending a chill down her spine. “What?” Marinette looked away, not wanting to tell him more. “Marinette, what did she do?” Adrien asked, insistent on getting an answer from her. 

“Lila cornered me in the bathroom when she came back after Heroes Day. She told me if I didn’t go along with her lies, she would turn everyone against me. And she almost pulled it off.” 

Adrien frowned, his expression darkening. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Marinette looked at her feet as she started walking again. “I was going to, but you wa-wanted to take the high road an-and I didn’t want to di-disappoint you.”

Adrien felt his heart sink, the confession in the museum and Alya implying Marinette had feelings for him. She wanted him to think the best of her, so when he wanted to believe in Lila’s ability to redeem herself, Marinette went along with it even if she was going to get hurt. And she did. “I am so sorry, Marinette. All of this happened because I didn’t look to see how it was affecting you.”

Marinette opened her mouth to deny it, but a loud stern call came from the park. “Adrien! Where have you been?” Natalie was striding towards them, not at all happy. 

“Sorry, Marinette. I promise to make it up to you.” The young designer mumbled something about him not needing to as she continued to the bakery.

“Adrien, you are ten minutes late. What were you doing?” Natalie asked.

“I was walking a friend home and I would have arrived five minutes ago if I took a car ride here. I don’t see the difference,” Adrien stated, not sorry at all.

Natalie scowled and beckoned him to follow her. An assistant offered him a cup of coffee which Adrien accepted, giving her a grateful smile. He was led to where Lila was already sitting. She was seated in one of the two chairs set out for the models as make up artists did their job.

Lila was fuming when he sat down next to her. “What do you think you are doing? I thought we were friends.”

“We are anything but friends. You hurt Marinette, you kept lying and now the entire class is split.”

“Only because Marinette wouldn’t let them believe in a fantasy I made for them. And now you are trying to mess it up too. What did you and Nino talk about at lunch?” Lila asked, her eyes narrowed at him.

“Nino asked me how I really feel about you and I told him the truth. He is a bit conflicted, but I have a feeling he will come around. Now would be a good time to fess up before Alya wisens up.”

Lila snorted, “I guess I need you to smarten up and play your role. Unless you want me and Gabriel to have a talk about how you should be homeschooled with me.” Adrien gave her a questioning look, to which Lila smirked. “Oh yes, my dear Adrien, your father and I are on a first name basis and if you want to keep enjoying school, play your role as my boyfriend. After all, your father is considering making our relationship official.” She reached out and pinched his bruised cheek, making him wince in pain. “You are mine and if I were you, I wouldn't dare to step out of line.”

Adrien looked around to see no one watching them, then at his coffee, then back at her. “Bring it.” He threw his coffee at her, hitting her in the face and chest. When Lila screamed in pain, Natalie rushed over to see what happened. “Natalie, Lila tried to kiss me, but when she grabbed me I lost my balance and spilled my coffee on her by accident!”

Natalie shooed him away, calling over a staff member. Adrien smiled and went to sit outside the area blocked off for the shoot. Behind him, chaos ensued as Lila started making it seem worse than it is. Adrien shook his head, trying not to laugh.

“Did I miss something?” Adrien looked up to see Marinette holding a small tray with two coffees and a bag from her parents’ bakery. She was looking over at the panicked scene where Natalie was attempting to keep everything under control but failing miserably.

“You came back!” Adrien beamed at her, a grin forming on his face.

Marinette blushed, her face turning a cute shade of red again. “Well I-I figured you-ou would like to have a tre-treat from the bakery,” she stammered. Adrien felt his heart swell. How did he not fall in love with her before? She was everything Ladybug was minus the superpowers. He kicked himself mentally, Marinette was even a part-time superhero as Multimouse.

“Thanks, I really appreciate it, Mari.” Adrien patted the spot next to him, inviting her to sit with him. He eyed the coffee and bag. “What's in the bag? And you didn’t actually bring a coffee for Lila too, did you?”

Marinette didn’t answer, eyes narrowed at his cheek that he applied the cover up to. Where Lila pinched him, removing some of the cover up. “Are you wearing makeup?” Adrien opened his mouth to deny it only for her to cut him off, “You never wear makeup to school.” Rushing ahead of him so she could look him in the eye, Marinette asked him, “What happened?”

Adrien hesitated, then realized Marinette wouldn’t let up until she knew. “There is a bruise there,” he said quietly, not daring to say more.

Marinette took a deep breath, then asked as calmly as she could, “Why is there a bruise on your cheek, Adrien?” Adrien didn’t want to tell her, staring at the ground. “Adrien, please tell me,” Marinette pleaded. 

Adrien could feel his hands trembling as he remembered his father’s fury. He sighed and whispered to Marinette, “I tried to stand up to my father and he hit me.” He waited for Marinette to say something, but she remained silent. 

Marinette barely heard his whisper, but it still broke her heart. She placed her hand in his trembling hand, squeezing it tightly. “It’s okay Adrien, you are with me.” She then realized that she was touching him without asking, just like Lila did. “I’m sorry, Adrien, I shouldn’t have…”

“I don’t want to model,” Adrien blurted out as he squeezed her hand back, not letting her pull away. It felt so good to say the truth to someone, to finally let it out. “I used to do it because it was fun and I enjoyed it. But now ever since my mother disappeared, I only do it to please my father. At first, I thought it would make him happy, but he just grew more and more distant.”

“Does he ever thank you?” Marinette asked, already knowing the answer.

Adrien shook his head, “No, he just tells Natalie to fill up my schedule and never checks on me unless I step out of line. It’s my  _ job  _ to be perfect according to him.” Adrien sighed, “I don’t want to be perfect.” He closed his eyes, a tear starting to form. 

“You don’t have to be perfect, Adrien.” Adrien looked at Marinette, her blue eyes filled with honesty. “No one should expect you to be perfect. I don’t want you to be perfect, I want you to be who you want to be.” 


	7. Is Lila a Lie-la?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is done.

Adrien

Gabriel was waiting for Adrien when he got home. Then again, why wouldn’t he? The shoot was delayed half an hour due to Lila acting like the coffee was life-threatening. One of the assistants called an ambulance before Natalie could rein in control again. After the ensuing confusion, the shoot finally started, only for Vincent to stop it all again. “The chemistry isn’t there! Adrien is acting like she is going to bite him.”

“I won’t bite unless you want me too,” Lila purred at him, a challenge in her eyes. Adrien just scowled and looked away.

Vincent turned to Natalie, “See? I can’t photograph a pair without chemistry or it will just look terrible no matter how handsome Adrien is.” Lila scowled at his comment, feeling as though it was an insult against her.

Natalie sighed, looking down at her tablet. “Then we switch to plan B. We will do solo shoots, Lila first, then Adrien.” Vincent nodded and motioned for his assistants to ready the various lighting for Lila. 

Finally, Adrien was home, an hour and a half behind schedule. No doubt this was going to be another  _ son, you are a disappointment  _ speech. His father glared down at him from the top of the stairs. “Adrien, why are you home so late?”

“The shoot took longer than expected,” Adrien started, only to be cut off by Gabriel.

“You missed your Chinese lesson and your piano instructor will be here soon. Go to your room and practice while you wait. You can eat dinner afterward. You will have to make for this lost time tomorrow.” Adrien began to walk away when Gabriel called out again, “Don’t mistreat Ms. Rossi in any way in the future. She is now the face of the company and an ideal match for you, should you learn to act not like a child.” Without another word, Gabriel turned and walked away to his office. 

Adrien scowled and headed to his room, knowing he would need to practice piano. Plagg zipped out of his shirt once they were inside and saw the dark look on his Chosen’s face. “Take it, easy kid, if you let yourself get too worked up, Hawkmoth might be able to akumatize you.”

Adrien sighed and glared at his closed door. “I wonder how he would react if his sketchbooks were all destroyed. Or even that book he loves to read so much.”

“Adrien, no! You can’t use the powers of the miraculous for personal gain. It never ends well,” the kwami insisted. “I have seen warriors abuse my powers to win wars, but they all perished the same: monsters. You are not a monster and Ladybug can’t afford to lose her partner. Especially now that Hawkmoth has captured Master Fu. Paris needs you to be the hero they need.”

Adrien groaned, “But we can’t even find Hawkmoth, how are we supposed to find Master Fu? We have been fighting him for so long and we don’t even have a clue.”

“With patience and time, kid,” Plagg told him. “I've been around for a few thousand years and nothing good gets done by impulsive actions.”

Adrien sighed and settled down at his piano and began practicing. Plagg grabbed a piece of cheese and rested on the piano, listening quietly.

  
  


Marinette

It felt weird using the normal way to get on the school roof or any rooftop for that matter. Usually, she would just use her yoyo to pull herself up onto building rooftops. Today, she used the stairs. Weird. Waiting for her was Adrien, already sitting on the edge of the roof. “Hey, Adrien!”

He turned and beamed at her, “Hey, Mari!” She sat down next to him, setting down a bag of treats between them. “You know, if you keep giving me treats like this, my dietitian is going to have a heart attack.”

Marinette shrugged, offering him one of the Ladybug themed cookies her parents were trying out. “They probably deserve it for starving you so much.” Adrien looked at her, completely shook. Marinette caught his stare, “What? You are literally skin and bone. I have seen all your shoots and it’s very easy to tell. ” She blushed slightly as she realized her stalker side was starting to show, hoping he wouldn’t comment.

Adrien blushed as he nodded quietly, it was something he was aware of, but didn’t know anyone else had noticed it. “So that's why you keep feeding me treats?”

Marinette smiled as she nodded, “Yeah and I like to spoil my friends.” The pair fell silent as they ate the treats, watching as other students entered the school. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Adrien took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “My father was waiting for me when I got home yesterday. The usual about being behind schedule and being the face of the company. Not how I was feeling, just business.” 

Marinette reached out and placed her hand on his, Adrien grabbing it and holding on tightly. “Then he went on about how I should be kinder to Lila and how she could be my…” Adrien trailed off, glaring at said girl in the courtyard below. Marinette followed his gaze and saw Lila as well, talking to Alya. Alya seemed shocked by what the other girl was saying, no doubt another tall tale.

Marinette squeezed Adrien’s hand. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. Just take your time.”

“He wants me to date Lila.” The thought sounded disgusting to him, but it felt good to share his problem with someone else. “Maybe even marry,” he added. 

“That's,” Marinette paused, trying to find the words to say. “That's just wrong. How could he force you into something like that?”

Adrien shrugged, looking down at the two girls in the courtyard. Lila now seemed to be comforting Alya, while others in the courtyard were walking over to see what was going on. “He just does as he pleases.”

Marinette opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the bell. “Sorry, but we should get going. Talk after school today? I know you have a shoot after school today, so this afternoon might not work right?”

“Yeah, I would like that.” Adrien smiled at her, then frowned. “Wait, I didn’t tell you that I have a shoot after school.”

Marinette turned red as a tomato, not sure what to say. “Uhh, I, I.” They heard a scream from in the courtyard. Looking down, they realized everyone was looking at the entrance. Standing there was Juleka and next to her was…

“Is that Chloe?” Adrien asked in disbelief, unsure if he was awake or dreaming. If he was dreaming this is a weird dream.

“That’s Chloe, I think,” Marinette offered, shocked at the sight below them. Chloe was standing in the entrance proudly, her hair down dyed a mix of purple and blue. “It looks like Luka and Juleka dyed her hair together and couldn’t agree on which color.” 

Adrien nodded as he picked up his school bag, grabbing Marinette’s before she could. “Hey! That’s mine.”

“What? I’m just carrying it,” Adrien answered with a smile that made her melt on the spot. Adrien led the way back down the stairs, red-faced Marinette behind him. Chloe had beat them to the classroom, where Adrien gave her a thumbs up while Marinette flashed a smile at her and Juleka. The two girls seem to have bonded over night somehow. 

Seating changed again, Lila’s half of the class moving up a row while Nino was now in the back row across from Adrien and Marinette. Nino looked up to give them a wave before putting his head back down. Alya and Lila entered just in front of Ms. Bustier. “Alya, please no, wait until you do this more privately!”

“No!” The blogger was fuming, clearly very upset by what Lila told her. “It’s bad enough that Marinette is trying to steal Adrien from you, but now she is trying to take Nino too.”

Half the class groaned in unison while Ms. Bustier looked in her teacher’s handbook for guidance. Alix spoke up, “Good god, Alya, do you seriously believe this?”

“Lila saw them together, Marinette was flirting with him.” 

Nino sat up in the back row, “Babe, I was with you and Adrien the whole time.”

“I can attest to that,” Max inputted. “According to all known data, there is no possibility that Lila would ever see Nino and Marinette talking as Marinette and Nino never spoke yesterday.”

“But Lila saw them together,” Alya insisted. 

Juleka stood up, “Maybe you should listen to some else other than Lila.”

“You are just mad because she pointed out that Luka is a pervert,” Rose shouted.

“Funny how you try to talk me down after telling me I have a voice that should be heard,” Juleka shot back. “And my brother, who I share a room with, is not a pervert.”

“Why are you lying?” Rose asked. “I thought we promised to always be honest with each other.”

“She is being honest,” Chloe defended. “ _ I _ listened to her. I just met Luka and even  _ I _ can tell that he is not a pervert.”

“Don’t listen to her, Rose,” Sabrina interrupted. “Chloe doesn’t have any good in her, why wouldn’t she defend Luka?”

“Okay, I’m done.” Marinette yelled as she stood abruptly and pulled out her phone. All eyes landed on her while she dialed a number. Glaring at the class she pressed the video call option. Everyone stopped talking when they heard it ring.

Jagged Stone picked up after a few rings. “Marinette! How’s my favorite niece!?”

Marinette had a wicked smile on her face that sent chills down Adrien’s spine. Lila seemed to be inching out of the room. “Not so great, you see my classmate Lila, you probably remember her? She says that she saved your cat?”

“I never had a cat.” Jagged sounded confused.

Alya jumped in right away, “Because it was a kitten!” She glared at Marinette, “Maybe you should keep the story straight when trying to make someone look like a liar.”

Jagged’s voice came over the phone sounding confused, “I never had a kitten either. I’m allergic to cats and they don't rock n’ roll enough for my image as Fang does. Who is this girl that says she saved my cat?”

Alya shut up as Marinette angled her phone so Jagged could see Lila and the class could see him. “Don’t you recognize Lila? She is the one who saved your cat! And then you wrote a song about her to thank her.”

“Okay, first, I don’t know this girl. I have never met her in my life! Second, I will never write a song about a minor. I wrote one for Ladybug and Chat Noir, but they are freaking superheroes.” Jagged seemed concerned on the call, leaning away to call someone off-screen. He looked back at Marinette. “Who is saying this, have they been posting this online?”

“Well yeah, why?”

Jagged didn’t answer, listening to someone off-screen. He nodded and said, “Okay, call our lawyer and get them to delete this Ladyblog.”

“What?!” Alya shrieked. She rushed forward and snatched the phone out of Marinette’s hands. “Mr. Stone, I can remove the videos, please don’t delete my blog. Please, please don’t do this.”

Jagged gave Alya a stern look, “Young lady, clearly you failed to check your sources properly. If you posted everything this Lila girl has been telling you, then you have a lot more to be afraid of then just me deleting your blog. Say bye to Marinette for me.” Without another word Jagged hung up, leaving a stunned Alya and an equally shocked class. 

Marinette felt her heart drop, she did not expect Jagged to go after Alya’s blog like this. But then again, what was Jagged supposed to do? Adrien walked past Marinette and plucked her phone out of Alya’s hands. He guided Marinette back to their seats, knowing Alya was too unstable to be close to right then. Nino started towards her, then hesitated.

Lila looked around panicking as everyone began to glare at her, her illusion clearly shattered. Then Alya screamed. Everyone jumped, looking to her as Lila took her chance to run away. Alya pointed a finger at Marinette, “YOU! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” Adrien moved in between Marinette and Alya protectively. “YOU KNEW SHE WAS A LIAR AND DIDN’T TELL US!”

“Alya, I tried to tell all of you and you never listened,” Marinette replied.

“YES, I DID.”

“Alya, Marinette told you the truth and you called her jealous,” Adrien pointed out. Marinette blushed as she remembered that Adrien now knew about her crush on him. “That’s not listening to your friends, that’s making excuses because she said something you didn’t want to hear.”

“SHE NEVER HAD PROOF OF LILA’S CLAIMS BEFORE!” Alya wasn’t calming down at all, seeming to be intent on blaming all her problems on Marinette.

“Alya, that is enough!” Ms. Bustier intervened at last, placing an open bottle of scotch back in her desk drawer. While the class had been yelling about some teenage drama, she poured some into her coffee. She had to get through the day after all. “Take your seat now. Where is Lila?” Nobody saw her leave, she had slipped out during all the yelling and Ms. Bustier’s drinking. 

Alya looked to Nino, “Come on, let’s go Nino.” She started walking down the stairs without waiting for his answer.

“No.” The answer came as a surprise to everyone. Alya stopped and looked at him with a sense of betrayal, then turned her back on him. She sat by herself in the front row, her world shattered. 

  
  


Adrien

The class was still divided as Adrien walked into the cafeteria. Marinette, Chloe, and Juleka sat at a table in the corner together, Marinette clearly interested in Chloe’s new hair colors. Rose was watching them from across the room, sitting with Sabrina, Mylene, and Ivan. Alix, Kim, Max, and Nathaniel sat together, Alix and Kim arm wrestling while the other two cheered on their side.

The only ones missing were Alya and Nino. Curious Adrien ventured into the halls. Rounding a corner, he bumped into Kagami. “Hey, Kagami.”

“Adrien,” she nodded, a small smile forming. “I thought you would be having lunch now?” 

“Yeah, I’m just looking for Alya and Nino,” Adrien explained.

Kagami quickly frowned, “You might want to leave them alone for a bit. I just saw Nino walking out of school, Alya running after him yelling. I think he broke up with her.”

Adrien sighed, another thing broken by Lila’s lies. “I’m pretty sure the only couple in our class that didn’t break up was Mylene and Ivan. Rose and Juleka seemed to have argued and you said Alya and Nino just broke up.”

“No other couples, right?” Kagami asked. She knew Marinette loved Adrien and that Adrien liked Marinette. And Kagami wasn’t sure if she was ready to step aside for Marinette.

Adrien gave her an inquisitive look, “What do you mean?” 

“It’s not important. So what about you? Anyone special?” Kagami asked curiously.

“I’ve been talking with Marinette a lot lately. She lets me talk and listens,” Adrien said, a smile on his face. “I feel more like myself around her.”

Kagami felt jealous, not aware of Adrien and Marinette hanging out more. “So you two are dating?”

“What? No, I mean, I know she likes me, but we never really talked about it.” Kagami felt a bit more relieved at that statement, but not convinced. Adrien continued, “Being with her, it’s freeing.”

“So you know of her feelings?” Kagami asked, fearing the answer.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to force her to talk about it. I wanna let her have her space and feel comfortable before we talk about it.” The pair entered the cafeteria, Adrien breaking away to go get food.

Kagami headed straight for Marinette’s table. There was an open spot to Marinette’s left, Juleka sitting on her right. “Hello,” she greeted, receiving smiles from Marinette and Juleka while Chloe narrowed her eyes.

Marinette greeted her, “Hi, Kagami. What’s up?”

“I’m making a move on Adrien.” It was blunt, but Kagami believed one should always be direct. “You've been spending time with him and had plenty of chances to tell me how you feel.”

Marinette opened and closed her mouth, Juleka staring wide-eyed while Chloe smirked. Before any of them could respond, Adrien sat down at the table. “Nice hair, Chloe.”

Before Chloe could reply, Kagami interrupted, “Adrien, do you want to get ice cream after school?”

Adrien gave her a sad apologetic smile, “Sorry, Kagami, but I have a photo shoot and I’m hanging out with Marinette before that already.”

“Maybe Saturday?” Kagami asked, intent on getting some time alone with Adrien.

“Sorry, scheduled for shoots all day,” Adrien shrugged apologetically.

Kagami frowned and was about to open her mouth again when her phone buzzed. She picked it up and listened for a moment before responding. “Okay, I will be there soon. She turned to face the others sitting at the table. “Sorry, I must leave to meet my mother.” Without another word, the fencer left.

Marinette turned back to Chloes, “So what happened after Luka found you two?”

Chloe grinned, “He stared, then told us I would look better in blue. The next thing I know, they are fighting over who gets to color my hair.” Adrien and Marinette burst out in laughter while Juleka blushed, her face on fire. Chloe grinned as she continued, “I managed to convince them to work together and this masterpiece happened.” She indicated her hair, a huge grin on her face.

“Do you think I could dye my hair?” Adrien asked curiously. “Like pink or neon green.”

Chloe smirked, “Why so rebellious Adrien? Wanna stick it to the man like your friend Chloe?”

“How did you not get grounded for that?” Adrien inquired. Marinette didn’t hear Chloe’s response, looking at Adrien, wondering how he would look with dyed hair. She decided that he would still be irresistible.

  
  


Nino

Alya looked at him, tears streaming out of her eyes. “Nino, please, I need you. I don’t know what is real anymore.”

“Me neither,” Nino admitted. “I’m not sure about us anymore, Alya. I think we should just take a break.” Nino walked into the school, leaving Alya alone on the front steps crying. Nino sighed, cursing Lila under his breath. The class had a lot of work to do before everyone hung out again, but even then things will never be the same. Nino hated change.


	8. Late Night Binge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gives Alya a piece of her mind. Gabriel plots his next move.

Marinette

Marinette walked out of school with Adrien, ready to talk with Adrien about his issues more. She was waiting for Adrien by the sidewalk when Alya walked up to her, her eyes red and her mascara a mess. Which made sense since only an hour ago, her blog was taken down. “Hey Mari, can we please talk?”

Marinette hesitated, then saw Adrien come up behind Alya. She asked him a silent question when their eyes locked for a moment. Adrien pulled out his phone and seemed to send a text. Marinette felt her phone vibrate in her hand.

Adrien: Go with her, I’ll be okay

Marinette looked back at Adrien, who simply nodded his understanding before heading off to a waiting car. She watched him drive off as Alya asked her again, “Can we please just talk?” 

“Yeah, lets talk,” Marinette sighed dejectedly. Alya nodded, not saying anything else. “So, what’s on your mind?” 

“I’m sorry for not believing you. Ever since Lila arrived, I was so caught up in everything she told us that I failed to listen to my best friend. I wanted to believe everything she portayed. I figured you were just jealous because Adrien wanted to hang out with her,” Alya insisted, trying to make it seem that things weren’t as bad as they were.

“Alya, what made you think I was jealous?” Marinette asked, struggling to remain calm. 

Alya seemed confused, “Because Adrien wanted to spend time with Lila.”

“Did Adrien want to? Or did Lila tell you that?” Marinette prompted quietly.

The question seemed to have its desired effect, Alya’s eyes widening. “Lila told me,” she whispered. “Adrien never said anything.”

“Because no one listened to him. Adrien never liked being around Lila, he didn’t like it when she touched him. It’s not hard to notice his discomfort. But you were caught up in a fantasy, too busy to care about your friends.”

“Mari, that's not fair...”

“What's not fair is when your best friend, who is a reporter who prides herself in getting the truth, accuses you of lying because she thinks you are just being jealous,” Marinette hissed.

“But it made sense…”

“You seriously think I would be so petty as to make lies about someone else because they were hanging out with the guy I have a crush on? I had my designs approved and modeled. I am working on my own brand. I designed Jagged Stone’s sunglasses and album covers, then appeared on a magazine cover with him. Adrien even asked for my autograph. I made the Kitty Section costumes and the band looks amazing in them. I even have a world famous soup named after me. Why on earth would I be jealous?” She laid it on a bit thick but Alya needed this. 

Alya sputtered, trying to find a way to defend herself. But no words came out as Marinette took a step closer, the fury in her eyes burning Alya’s soul. “You left me when I needed you to believe in me.”

“Mari, please can we just be friends again?” Alya pleaded desperately. “I really need you right now.”

Marinette’s burning gaze didn’t waver, “Amazing how our friendship only exists when it's convenient for you.”

Marinette turned and started to walk away as Alya cried, “Mari, please I need someone!”

“I’m Mari to my friends only. We aren’t friends anymore, Alya. We haven’t been friends in a while and I’m not ready to give you another chance yet.” Without another word, Marinette walked home, not looking back at Alya. 

  
  


Adrien

When he arrived at the park, Nathalie was waiting for him. “Adrien, Ms. Rossi won’t be involved in today's shoot. Some false claims have been made about her and until our PR team can put them out, she is to stay out of the public eye.”

Adrien snorted, “You mean it was finally revealed that Lila lied about everything?”

Nathalie frowned at him, “These so called lies also took down the Ladyblog, which is why if anyone asks you about this, you simply say nothing.” She walked away, tapping away at something on her tablet. Adrien rolled his eyes, no way was he protecting Lila from the media hounds.

So when a reporter walked up to him as he was leaving after the shoot, Adrien gave them a welcoming smile. “Adrien Agreste, is it true Lila Rossi lied on the Ladyblog? Why would the  _ Gabriel  _ brand hire someone who may be a con artist?”

“Well, I can confirm that Lila Rossi indeed lied about many things on the Ladyblog. It’s a shame that Alya didn’t realize this before her blog was taken down. I wasn’t involved in the decision to hire Lila, that’s above my pay grade I believe.” Before Adrien could answer any more questions, the Gorilla shooed away the reporter and pulled him away.

Getting into the car, Adrien leaned back with a smile. It felt good to say the truth. His father was gonna flip when he saw the news.

  
  


Gabriel

Gabriel sat behind his desk, looking at the girl standing before him. “Ms. Rossi, this is a PR disaster. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“It was all Marinette Dupain-Cheng, she spread lies about me,” Lila insisted. 

Gabriel turned his monitor, showing Lila a screenshot of the Ladyblog. “The Ladyblog posted multiple vidoes of you claiming that you were Ladybug’s best friend. Other’s had you stating that you had connections to famous singers and political figures. If we didn’t get the Ladyblog taken down, the brand would be facing a serious scandal.” Gabriel gave her a cold glare as he pointed at the screen. “If you had told me about this when I first reached out to you, we could have gotten rid of the evidence and not have a mess on our hands.”

Lila felt her face burn with shame. Despite their agreement, Gabriel could still easily back out of the deal and leave her on her own. “But everyone at school knows the truth now and will want to harm me.”

“I can withdraw you and start your homeschooling here with Adrien. He will be receiving tutoring here starting this Monday.”

Lila stared at Gabriel in surprise and joy, “You are pulling Adrien out of public school? Why?”

“Because Adrien needs to be taught a lesson in consequences.” A smile touched Gabriel’s lips, something Lila learned meant he had a plan. “It may also give Marinette Dupain-Cheng something to be upset about. She has lied to me before in order to keep Adrien in school. Perhaps this time when Ms. Dupain-Cheng can’t do anything, she will be vulnerable to my akuma.”

Lila smirked, “Then she will take the miraculous for us and we can make our wishes. Maybe we could announce that Adrien and I will be dating as well? That will most certainly push her over the edge!”

“Not a bad idea, but the timing is poor due to the media looking for dirt on you,” Gabriel stated, getting up and walking over to his sketchbook shelf. “However, we must ensure she is pushed over the edge completely.”

Lila frowned, “I don’t understand, what more can we do?”

Gabriel selected one of his sketchbooks and walked over to Lila. “Ms. Dupain-Cheng is a fashion designer, an artist.” He opened the sketchbook and showed her the design drawn on it. “Like any artist, there is one thing she values more than anything.” Lila’s swirk returned as she realized the plan, a Volpina themed outfit sketched on the page.

  
  


Adrien

As his chinese tutor left, Adrien laid down on his bed. On his way home, Adrien saw a group of protesters with signs demanding for heroes to unmask, clearly not fans of the heroes’ decision to defy the mayor. While most of the city seemed to heed Multimouse’s, Marinette’s, words that rallied the city behind the heroes, there was still a group who chose to support the mayor.

When Adrien got home, he was rushed through dinner to be ready for his tutor. His tutor was strict as always, but seemed impressed that Adrien kept up on his chinese. His report to Gabriel was positive, but that didn’t mean Adrien was allowed out of his room. Gabriel had told Adrien that he was to study until it was time for him to go to bed. 

Adrien groaned, bored. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the contacts. Nino wasn’t talking to anyone, saying he needed some alone time. Alya was worse no doubt, after all her blog just got deleted. Chloe said something about hanging with Juleka, sending a photo of the two of them. Chloe was grinning, cheeks a hint red while Juleka gave a small smile. 

That left Marinette.

Adrien:  _ Hey Mari! How did it go with Alya? _

Adrien only had to wait for a few seconds before the reply came.

Mari:  _ Hey Adrien! Bad, like real bad. I think I was a little too hard on her.  _

Adrien:  _ I’m sure it wasn’t that bad… _

Adrien:  _ Was it? _

Mari:  _ Yeah, it was. I kinda let loose on her about all the stuff that has been going on… _

Adrien:  _ Want to talk about it? I’m free so I can call you. _

Mari:  _ Yeah, that would be nice. _

Adrien:  _ OK, I will call in a minute. _

Adrien hit the video call icon and waited as it rang. He heard a click as Marinette picked up, her face filling up his screen. “Hey, Mari!”

“Hey, Adrien! How was the shoot?”

“It went normal. There was a reporter asking about Lila’s lies on the Ladyblog, so I gave her a few honest answers that I was told not too.” 

Marinette laughed, “So rebellious.”

“Yeah, I don't think my father will appreciate what I said.”

Marinette frowned, not liking what that was implying. “What will happen?”

Adrien shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe he will lock me in all day tomorrow? But then how do I make his brand profit more from my room?”

“You shouldn’t have to always do things for him,” Marinette stated. “You deserve to have fun and hang out with your friends.” 

Adrien frowned knowing she was right, but didn’t want to get into it. He quickly changed the subject, “So what happened with Alya?”

“She wanted to be best friends again and talk about her boy problems. Or blog problems. I don’t know, I just really didn’t want to pretend everything was okay. So I told her how I really felt about everything. I told her how you really felt about Lila. It seemed to shock her.”

“She had an eventful day, that is for sure,” Adrien pointed out. “Did you get a chance to work things out?”

“No, I’m not sure I’m ready to give Alya another chance,” Marinette admitted, looking away from him. “She said a lot of hurtful things while she believed in Lila’s lies.”

Adrien nodded understandingly, “She hasn’t reached out to me at all. Not sure why, but I don’t think I’m socially equipped to handle her in her current state.” He swallowed then asked her, “Have you heard anything from Nino? He isn’t replying to my texts.”

“I saw him after school. He gave me a wave but cranked his music and walked the other way.” Marinette sighed. “It seems like our class is gonna need a lot of time before things go back to normal.”

Adrien nodded, knowing the feeling. “At least no one is under Lila’s spell anymore, though I think father has his PR team trying to make it all disappear.”

Marinette scowled, “Of course she can’t learn a lesson in telling the truth.”

“She still has to come to school on Monday,” Adrien pointed out.

“Or she will just skip like she has been since she first arrived. Then she doesn’t have to see anyone.”

Adrien frowned, knowing she was right. But talking about Lila was not what he called to talk about at all. “What’s your high score on Ultra Mecha Strike?” he asked.

Marinette seemed to be surprised at the sudden change in subject, “Uh, give me a sec.” Adrien could hear her chair roll across her room over the phone. Marinette moved out of view, keyboard keys clacking in the background. “1270338,” she told him, a smirk on her face.

“How? That’s impossible!” Adrien insisted. 

Marinette laughed, “Maybe for you it!” Off screen, Adrien heard someone call to her from off screen. “Okay, I’ll be down in a minute!” She looked back at him, an apologetic smile on her face. “Sorry, my parents are calling me down for dinner.”

“That’s okay, see you tomorrow?” 

“I will. Goodnight, Adrien.”

“Goodnight, Mari.”

Gabriel

Gabriel scowled at the reports he received from his PR team. Thanks to Lila Rossi’s lies on the Ladyblog, the  _ Gabriel  _ brand was dealing with the biggest scandal it had in years. He would have to wait before he used Lila again in future shoots, Adrien will have to do solos for now.

Gabriel looked at the time and decided he should pay his  _ guest  _ a visit. Walking over to the portrait of his wife, Gabriel pressed the hidden buttons. The secret elevator took him down to his hidden lair. “Nooroo, dark wings rise.” Hawkmoth strode past the entrance to Emelie’s chamber to the small room where the Guardian of the miraculous was kept.

Fu was tied to a chair, only given water once a day. The old man hadn’t said a word the past two days. He seemed to be intent on meditating despite the mistreatment. After Multimouse foiled his attempt to capture the miraculous at the courthouse, Hawkmoth came down to the Guardian’s cell that night and let his frustration out on the old man. Gabriel had worked hard to manipulate other officials and white collared citizens to pressure the mayor into trying to arrest Ladybug and Chat Noir, only for it all to crash down thanks to one girl. As a result, Fu was covered in bruises, his left eye swollen shut, and his nose broken.

Hawkmoth had yet to move on to true physical torture, restraining himself to the silent treatment now in order to get the best possible results. Enough isolation from everyone else will break the old man soon enough.

“Who is Ladybug?” The guardian remained silent, eyes closed. “Who is Chat Noir?” Still no response. “Where is the real Miracle Box?” Hawkmoth growled, losing his patience. 

The Guardian opened his eyes and stared at the villian defiantly. “No.” 

Hawkmoth took a deep breath, then moved the bottle of water he had been using for Fu. He unscrewed the lid and poured the rest of it on the ground. “I hope your answer is different tomorrow.” Without another word, he walked out, leaving the Guardian alone.

  
  


Marinette

Marinette stared out her window into the night, the day still going through her mind. Tikki saw the thoughtful look on her Chosen’s face. “What’s on your mind, Marinette?”

“I’m just thinking about Adrien. I wonder if he’s okay.” Marinette tapped her pencil on her desk, looking over at Tikki. “Maybe we should go check on him?”

“Marinette, you can’t go visit Adrien as Ladybug. If someone saw you, then Adrien may be put in danger,” Tikki insisted.

Marinette nodded, spinning in her chair. Tikki was right, Ladybug couldn’t visit Adrien. Her eyes fell on the Miracle Box’s hiding place under her sewing table. Tikki followed her Chosen’s gaze, realizing what Marinette was thinking. “I don’t think that’s a better idea.”

“But Multimouse spotted in the area will draw less attention than Ladybug. And then I can make sure Adrien is okay and do a quick patrol,” Marrinette reasoned. As Tikki continued to frown at her, Marinette offered up a bribe, “I’ll get you some of those new chocolate chip cookies with the icing.”

Tikki seemed to have an internal battle, debating on whether or not to support Marinette’s plan. Giving in, the kwami sighed, “Okay, but just a visit to take a quick peak. Do not go inside or reveal your identity to anyone else. You already pissed off the mayor and who knows who else.”

Marinette nodded as she opened the Miracle Box, pulling out the mouse miraculous. Putting it on, Mullo zipped out of the necklace and flew in front of Marinette. “Hi!”

“Hi, Mullo! Up for a run?” The kwami eagerly nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “Okay, just give me a moment to get some extra food for you and Tikki just in case.” Mullo nodded her understanding, waiting with Tikki while Marinette tiptoed down in the kitchen. She grabbed some cookies and two pieces of cheese, placing them in her purse.

Sneaking back upstairs, Marinette went out onto her balcony. “Mullo, get squeaky!” In a pink flash, she was Multimouse again. She jumped off of the balcony, not needing to use her jump rope thanks to the extra agility and speed granted to her by the mouse miraculous. Dashing across rooftops, she found her way to the Agreste mansion easily. Sometimes stalker habits come in handy, Multimouse mused.

There was one last jump between her rooftop and the ledge by Adrien’s window, Multimouse had to time it just right. She leaped.

And realized her miscalculation too late as she hit Adrien’s window instead of landing gracefully on the ledge. Thankfully, the glass didn’t break, Gabriel Agreste clearly spared no expense when the mansion was built. That did little to ease Multimouse’s embarrassment. The only way this could get worse would be if Adrien was still awake.

That’s when she saw Adrien staring wide eyed at her, sitting on his couch with the TV playing something. Adrien got up and opened the window next to the one she hit. “Are you okay, Mar-Multimouse?”

Multimouse blushed wildly, stuttering out, “Ye-yeah, I’m oh-okay. Just jumped too much, you know.” She dropped her head in her hands and groaned quietly, “Oh god, this is so embarrassing.”

“Do you want to come inside?” 

Multimouse squeaked, giving him a surprised look as she stammered again. “Uh, ye-yeah sure! If you-ou don’t mind I mean.” 

Adrien nodded and stepped aside to let Multimouse hop down in the room. “You can release your transformation if you want, Marinette.” Adrien laughed as she stared at him in shock. “Yes, I know you are Multimouse. You told me back in the subway station, remember?”

Multimouse hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Of course, I totally forgot!”

Adrien gave her a bright smile that made her want to melt right there on the spot. He watched her release her transformation, a flash of pink revealing Marinette. “So why are you here?”

Marinette gave him a shy smile, blushing lightly as she said, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’m so sorry this is weird and it was a bad idea to come here like this.” 

Marinette turned back towards the window to leave when Adrien grabbed her wrist gently to stop her, “You know, most people would just text or even call. This… means a lot to me.”

Marinette nodded, her face a deep shade of red. “Yeah, I guess.” She saw the bruise on his cheek, no longer covered up. “Are you okay?”

Adrien realized she could now see the full size of the bruise. He turned his head slightly, hoping that she wouldn’t keep asking about it. “Yeah, I’m okay, just a little bored.”

Marinette knew it was a lie,but she let it slide this time. Only this time. “If you say so, so what are you still doing awake?”

Adrien smiled, relieved that she dropped the question of his well being. “I’m just about to start watching an anime right now. Wanna join me?””

Adrien went back to the couch, nodding towards the other side of the couch with a warm smile. Marinette accepted the invitation, giving him a shy smile as she sat down. Adrien offered her popcorn as the show began to play. “What’s it called?”

“The Student Council President is a Maid!” Adrien announced, using a remote to dim the lights in his room.

_ A few hours later… _

“How can Misaki not see that Takumi is in love with her? It's so obvious!” Marinette cried, sucked into a blackhole of unrequited pining with lots of heartbreak.

Adrien laughed, “Maybe she knows and just doesn’t want to accept it?”  _ Almost like you and I,  _ Adrien thought to himself, not knowing Marinette was thinking the same thing. 

Marinette shook her head as he kept laughing. “Or he is just too creepy for her to realize his feelings for her. Honestly, if a guy followed me around like Takumi, I would punch him too.”

Their little viewing party quickly turned into a binge, Adrien sneaking out to grab more popcorn and drinks. Both were sucked into the plot, wanting to see the boy get the girl. Or watch him get rejected so they would at least have an answer.

Adrien realized the time much later 2 in the morning. “Uh, maybe we should stop.”  Marinette gave him a confused look, hurt in her eyes. “I mean it's 2 am and I have a shoot tomorrow. I should probably get some sleep or my father won’t be happy with me falling asleep on set.”

Marinette frowned, “Didn’t you do a photoshoot today? Why do you still have one tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but he wants to rush out the new catalogue or something.” Adrien shrugged.

“You shouldn’t have to be overworked like this though. Do you ever get free time to just mess around or do what you want?” Marinette asked as she got up and started walking to the window. 

Adrien looked away, staring off at the climbing wall. “Sometimes, but it's either just in my room or at school.”

Marinette frowned again, “You deserve better.” Looking out in the window at the night, she sighed, “I better get going, it was fun though. Good night, Adrien.” She gave him a shy smile, “Or should I say good morning?”

He smiled at her, “Thanks for keeping me company. Goodnight!”

“Mullo, get squeaky!” Adrien stared in awe as Marinette transformed, the sight taking his breath away. Giving Adrien one last wave, Multimouse leapt off into the night, leaving him behind.

Multimouse landed on her balcony silently, releasing her transformation. Marinette put the mouse back in the Miracle Box, silently planning her day. Gabriel can’t work Adrien until he falls over if Adrien is kidnapped by a concerned friend, she thought with a smirk. Tikki noticed the plotting look on her Chosen’s face. “What’s on your mind, Marinette?”

“I want to steal Adrien away from the photo shoot tomorrow and I think I know how.” Making sure to set her alarm, Marinette went to bed. She had a busy morning and needed to be well rested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna read a short one-shot? [Click here for 'Nino's mission'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23332030)


	9. Shocking Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Gabriel set their plans in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanna say best of luck to everyone stuck in quarantine, especially introverts like me trapped in a house with chatty people :) Hope everyone is okay and stays safe!

Adrien 

Adrien woke up to the pounding on his door, Natalie’s annoyed coming through it, “Adrien, wake up! You are behind schedule!” Adrien groaned, not wanting to get up at all after staying up till early in the morning with Marinette. He grinned stupidly at the memory, something he never done before with anyone.

Plagg yawned, then glared at the door. “Can you please tell her to shut it? I already lost enough sleep when you and your girlfriend decided to watch anime during ungodly hours.”

Adrien grinned at the cranky kwami, “I regret nothing.”

“Except that you didn’t kiss her goodnight?” Plagg smirked. Adrien didn’t answer, his face going red as he got out of bed to shower. Plagg simply cackled as he retrieved a piece of camembert from his stash. Ten minutes later, Adrien was freshly showered and dressed, his bruise freshly covered up again. Adrien pulled out his blue scarf and wrapped it around his neck. It was the only sign he had that said his father cared about him.

“Come on, Plagg,” Adrien said, opening his shirt to let the kwami in. 

Adrien opened his door, finding Natalie still on the other side of the door. “Adrien, you are behind schedule,” Natalie scolded him. “You will have to skip breakfast if we are to stay on track. Let’s go.” Before Adrien could protest, she was already walking away looking at her tablet. Adrien followed her, sighing in despair. His good mood would be ruined at some point he knew, but he wished it wasn’t this soon.

  
  


Marinette 

Marinette sat on a park bench across from the outdoor studio, waiting for Adrien to arrive. In her purse was the memory card for Vincent’s camera, retrieved by Tikki. She felt guilty for taking the card, but she needed to stall the shoot long enough for her to steal Adrien away. 

All doubt was erased from her mind when the black car pulled up. Adrien was escorted by his bodyguard and Gabriel’s assistant. Marinette felt her breath taken away as she recognized the scarf around his neck: the one she made for his birthday. Adrien came to school wearing it the next day, thinking it was from his father. Marinette had seen how happy Adrien was when he said his father gave it to him, deciding to never tell him. 

Vincent started shouting at his assistants, jerking Marinette out of her thoughts. The photographer was gesturing wildly at Natalie, who sighed and walked away with her phone to her ear. Adrien moved to the edge of the park, still accompanied by his bodyguard. Marinette grabbed the bag of bakery treats and moved to put her plan in action.

Adrien was staring out at the busy street while his bodyguard just sat there with a grumpy expression on his face. “Hi,” Marinette greeted. Adrien looked over and smiled brightly at her while the Gorilla simply grunted at her. Marinette held out the bag of treats to the Gorilla, “Brought you a few treats from the bakery, on the house.” He grunted, sniffing the treats and smiled. “Is it okay if Adrien and I take a stroll around the park?” The massive man nodded, completely distracted by the treats.

Adrien knew something was going down the minute Marinette smirked the same way Ladybug did when she figured what to do with her lucky charm in a battle. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from his bodyguard. “What’s going on, Mari?” 

“Wait just one second,” she told him as she led him. Marinette looked over her shoulder once they were a few meters away, Natalie was still on the phone and the Gorilla was still distracted by his treats. Without warning, Marinette quickly changed direction and pulled him across the street. 

“Mari, wait a second,” Adrien pleaded, looking back at the photoshoot set. 

Marinette pulled him inside a bus stop, a poster preventing anyone from seeing them. “Adrien, do you really want to do that shoot today?” she asked, looking him in the eye. 

“No,” Adrien admitted, looking away. “And Lila is supposed to come around lunch time.”

“So why not just skip it?” Marinette suggested. Suddenly, Marinette’s phone’s ringtone sounded off. She checked the caller ID: it was Alya.

Adrien saw it too. “Has Alya been calling alot?”

Marinette shrugged, “This is the first time she called. She has been texting me since yesterday.” 

“Are you going to pick it up?” Adrien asked.

“No, I’m not sure I’m ready to talk to her yet,” Marinette admitted. She rejected the call and looked back at him. “So what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know, but I do know I don’t want to go back there.”

Marinette grinned, “Then let’s get going!” She peered around the corner of the bus stop, Adrien’s bodyguard now on his feet and looking around frantically. “We’ve got to be quick if we don’t want to be spotted.” She pointed to a nearby subway entrance, “If we get on the next train, they won’t be able to keep up with us.”

Adrien nodded, now fully committed to the plan. They waited until the Gorilla glanced in a different direction, then Marinette dashed out pulling Adrien behind her. The duo was halfway down the stairs when Marinette tripped, pulling Adrien down with her.

Marinette found herself lying on her back, Adrien on top of her. Their locked eyes, blushing wildly as they realized their intimate position. Adrien gave her an apologetic smile, “Um, so-sorry for falling for you?” Marinetteface grew hotter as she tried to stammer out a reply, only to find her words failing her.Adrien’s eyes widened when he realized his slip up. “Uh, I mean falling on you. So-sorry,” he apologized. 

“No-o, it’s my fault.” They both stayed there frozen, until a rumble from Adrien’s stomach broke the tension. Marinette giggled as Adrien got up and offered her his hand. “Someone is hungry,” she noted. Then she frowned instantly, scowling, “Must be that model diet your father forced on you.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, and I kinda didn’t have breakfast this morning.”

“What?!” Adrien winced at the sharp tone in her voice. Marinette stared into his eyes, asking, “Why didn’t you eat breakfast?”

Adrien sighed, “We were behind schedule, so Natalie told me to skip breakfast and get to the shoot.”

Marinette frowned, “That is not acceptable! Come on, we are going to find a cozy breakfast diner and you will get a proper meal.” Before Adrien could say anything, Marinette pulled him onto the train. He gave in and sat down next to her, knowing when Marinette set her mind nothing could stop her.

  
  


Natalie 

“What do you mean Adrien left?” Natalie asked the Gorilla, mentally berating herself for letting Adrien sit on the edge of the set. 

The bodyguard shrugged, “The nice girl with pigtails came along and wanted to walk around with him. When I looked up, they were gone.” 

Natalie sighed and walked away, pulling up the FindMyPhone app on her tablet. Gabriel, the Gorilla and Natalie herself popped up, but Adrien did not. She scowled, the boy must have turned off his location option. And the girl that helped him get away must have been Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Natalie pulled out her phone and called Gabriel. “Yes, Natalie?”

“Sir, Adrien has managed to leave the shoot without his bodyguard. I can’t track him and I believe the Dupain-Cheng girl is with him.”

‘While Adrien’s sudden need to rebel is annoying, the fact that the Dupain-Cheng girl is out there with him gives us an opportunity to enact part of our plan.”

“Understood sir, I will attempt to contact and locate Adrien.” Natalie hung up and pulled up Adrien’s contact, pressing the call button. She ended up getting Adrien’s voicemail. Scowling, Natalie walked back over to the Gorilla, trying to plan how to find Adrien.

  
  


Lila 

The purple butterfly flew into her necklace, the all too familiar purple outline glowing in front of her face. “Hello Hawkmoth.”

The villain's voice spoke inside her head, “Volpina, now is the time to make our move.” 

“I am ready, Hawkmoth.” The purple energy consumed Lila, transforming her into Volpina once more. In seconds, she was bounding across rooftops. Dropping into an alley, she eyed her target: the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. 

Volpina blew her flute, an orange flash disguising herself as Marinette. It pained her to do so, but it was a necessary act to achieve her goal. She walked across the street and into the bakery. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her go upstairs. 

Volpina entered Marinette’s room, disgusted by the overall pinkness of it. The walls were covered in pictures of Adrien, even her desktop’s wallpaper was a collage of Adrien with a pink heart filter. Trust Marinette to be so pathetic. 

Looking around the room, Volpina began searching for Marinette’s sketchbook. She found it sitting on Marinette’s crafting table, clasped shut. It was pink too, of course, a black heart on the clasp and an _M_ on the bottom right corner. With her objective in hand, Volpina began to walk down the stairs leading out of the apartment into the bakery.

“Marinette, dear please wait.” Volpina froze as Sabine Cheng called from behind her. Slowly, Volpina turned around. Gabriel had been clear that no one must know who she really was, so fighting was out of the question. Sabine ducked back into the kitchen momenttarly, coming back out with a small bag. “If you are going outside to sketch for a while, then take some snacks in case you get hungry again.”

Volpina forced a smile, accepting the treats as carefully as she could. One wrong move and her illusion would be destroyed. Sabine let go of the treats, giving Volpina a warm smile, “Don’t stay out too late.”

“Thanks, I won’t!” Volpina gave a small wave as she continued out of the bakery. 

She was almost home free when a familiar voice called from behind her. “Mari, wait up!” Alya called, running up to her. Volpina did her best not to scowl, Alya had been calling her non-stop since Gabriel removed the blog. “Look, I know you said you don’t want to be friends anymore, but please just hear me out!” the former blogger panted out.

“Why should I? You never listened to me before.” Volpina was probably doing Marinette a favour by chasing off Alya, but the loss of her sketchbook would hurt the designer more deeply than Alya being ignored.

“Please, Marinette. I’m asking for one small chance to talk,” the blogger begged. 

“Go away Alya, no one wants to hear you anymore.” Without another word, Volpina walked away. It took a lot of willpower for her to not look back at the other girl to see how broken she must be. Volpina smirked, she learned a long time ago that friends are pointless, only allies and minions are useful. 

Finally out of Alya’s sight, Volpina ducted into an alleyway. As the illusion dropped, the purple outline appeared in front of her face. “Hawkmoth, I have the sketchbook. No one knows that it has been stolen yet.”

“Excellent work, Volpina.”

“May I destroy it?” Volpina asked, more than ready to watch the book burn in flames.

“No!” Hawkmoth’s voice cried. “The designs in that book may still have value. Bring it to me at once.” Volpina scowled as the outline faded. She wanted to destroy the sketchbook to pay Marinette back for exposing her, but Hawkmoth still held all the cards that mattered. She would have to wait a little longer.

  
  


Marinette 

Marinette stared in disbelief as Adrien finished his third serving of food, her own empty plate long forgotten. “So how much food do you regularly get?”

Adrien looked up, then down at his plate. “Uh, sorry. Guess I got carried away.”

“Stop apologizing for everything.” 

Adrien frowned, not sure what Marinette meant. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t have to be sorry for things that aren’t your fault. You are allowed to be hungry despite what your father says,” Marinette insisted.

Before Adrien could reply, his phone lit up on the table displaying Nino’s caller ID. “Hey, Nino?”

“Dude, where are you? Your father’s assistant called me to ask if I knew where you are.”

Adrien smiled, “I’m okay, Nino. Marinette stole me away from my bodyguard and now I’m skipping out on the shoot.”

“Duuude, that’s the way to stick it to the man!” Nino cheered. “Well now that I know you aren’t kidnapped or anything, I’m just gonna text that assistant dudette that you wouldn’t tell me where you are.”

“Nino, wait! Are you okay?” Adrien asked.

“I’m fine dude, I just need some alone time to figure things out.” Without another word, Nino hung up on him. 

“We should give him some time alone,” Marinette suggested. “Lila did a lot of damage to the class.”

Adrien sighed, “I guess that’s one is my fault.”

“No, it isn’t. Lila is responsible, not you.” Marinette stared at the scarf, “Adrien, how much do you eat each day?”

“Not a lot,” Adrien admitted. “But it's so I stay in shape for modeling.”

Marinette sighed, “Adrien, I think you should leave home and file a report of child abuse and neglect.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped, “What? Why?”

“Adrien, he starves you to make a profit. He hit you when you said you didn't want to stay inside and work for him. You are forced into shoots that make you feel uncomfortable. Your schedule is so packed that you barely have time with your friends.”

“He is just doing what he thinks is best,” Adrien insisted.

Marinette sighed. “How often do you eat a meal together?”

“Once a month maybe?” Adrien admitted. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for me.”

“Adrien, what sign of love has he shown you in the past year?” Marinette asked.

Adrien frowned, then yanked off his scarf. “This year he remembered my birthday and made me this. He didn’t even put it in any of the catalogues.” He handed the scarf to Marinette to let her inspect it. “He clearly thinks about me still.”

Marinette felt a tear roll down her cheek. She thought she was letting Adrien be happy by letting him think the scarf was from his father. Instead, she had given Gabriel a free pass to be a terrible father to Adrien. She fumbled for the end of the scarf, finding her signature. Without saying anything, she handed the scarf back to Adrien and pointed at the signature.

Adrien stared at the signature, the significance of it hitting him like a punch to the gut. He looked back at her, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to, but you looked so happy when you thought it was from your father. I told everyone else to never tell you because I didn’t want to take that away from you,” Marinette confessed. “I didn’t realize that your father was this bad before, blinded by a stupid crush.”

Adrien felt his hands shake. His father stole Marinette’s gift and passed it off as his own. His father stole someone else’s hard work and pretended to care for him by passing it off as his own. “No, it’s not your fault. I never should have missed your signature before.” They both fell silent for a moment, then Adrien said, “Thank you, Marinette.”

Marinette looked at him surprised, “For what?”

“For showing me the truth. And giving me an awesome birthday present.” Adrien gave her a sad smile. “What was your plan for me leaving home?”

Marinette looked down at her phone, “I need to ask my parents a few things, but I doubt they wouldn’t let you stay at the bakery.” Marinette listed a number of other items Adrien should try to retrieve as he held the scarf tightly in his hand.

Across the street from them just out of sight was Kagami. She glared at the two, a single tear rolling down her face as jealousy burned inside of her.

  
  


Natalie 

With Adrien not showing up, Natalie resigned herself to going back to the mansion and do some paperwork. It was almost time to water the guardian anyways. Natalie took the elevator down into Gabriel’s lair. On her way to the Guardian’s cell, she stopped to take a glance at Emelie resting in the stasis chamber. Natalie knew Emelie when she was in good health and how she brought light into Gabriel’s life. Ever since she fell into the coma, Gabriel had grown grimmer. He was willing to do almost anything these days it seemed, which worried Natalie. 

What if the Guardian knew of another way to save Emelie? One that didn’t involve the warnings from the stories of the Miracle Wish, that said an equal sacrifice needed to be made. These questions in mind, Natalie entered the cell holding the Guardian. Gabriel had spilled the bottle of water she had down there she realized, the puddle sitting on the floor next to the empty bottle.

Coming to a decision, Natalie began to remove the chains holding the Guardian down. Fu’s eyes opened up, “Excuse me but what are you doing?” 

“There is something you need to see,” Natalie stated. “Something that will change your mind about telling us where to find the Miracle Box.”

Fu let out a weak chuckle, “Nothing you show me will cause me to willingly tell a man as corrupt as Hawkmoth where to find the Miracle Box. You are just wasting your time.” 

Natalie didn’t answer, pulling him along to Emilie’s chamber. She walked him down the path and stopped him in front of the statis tube. Fu gasped as he recognized Adrien’s mother. When he visited Adrien under the guise as his substitute chinese teacher, he saw the photo of Adrien and his mother. “This is Emelie Agreste, isn’t it? That means Hawkmoth must be Gabriel Agreste.”

Natalie nodded, “She used the peacock, but it was damaged. Gabriel has managed to preserve her, but barely.”

“There is nothing I or the Order of the Guardians can do to save her. The damage caused by the use of a broken miraculous cannot be healed.” Fu turned his attention back to Natalie, “If he uses the Miracle Wish, then he will have to sacrifice Adrien, or even you.”

Natalie frowned, “No, there has got to be a better way!”

“Get me the butterfly and peacock miraculous, then I will try to help her. But right now, I can’t help you with anything. Not without the Miracle Book and the necessary items,” Fu explained.

Natalie pondered for a moment, then sighed. “I will see what I can do, but Gabriel…”

_Bang._

Natalie fell to the ground, a hole where her heart was. Fu stared in shock at Gabriel Agreste standing at the elevator with a cold look in his eyes, a smoking revolver in his hand. 

  
  


Adrien 

When Adrien entered the mansion, no one was around to yell at him. Taking it as a stroke of good luck, he headed straight to his room and pulled out a duffle bag. In it, he threw a few extra changes of clothes, deodorant and a stash of money he had been saving just in case. Adrien also threw in his laptop, the few photos he had left of him and his mother. Next he opened the desk drawer he had hidden Master Fu’s letter and the envelope containing Ladybug’s identity. For a moment, Adrien considered opening the envelope, then shook his head and stashed it away in the bag. He didn’t need to know her identity just yet and Ladybug deserved to reveal it to him herself.

Plagg observed him quietly before asking Adrien, “Kid, are you sure about this?”

Adrien nodded as he searched for something else inside in the largest drawer in his desk. Reaching under a stack of binders, Adrien pulled out a hard drive and a USB stick. He plugged the hard drive into his desktop computer, transfering all the files he wanted to keep. “Sure as I’ll ever be, Plagg.” The file transfer began, the loading bar slowly progressing. Adrien groaned, he hoped to be in and out.

“But what if your father comes for you?” Plagg asked. The kwami had no desire to see his Chosen dragged back into 

Adrien held up the USB stick to show it to Plagg. “That’s why I’m going into his office to find some dirt on him,” Adrien explained as he started towards the door. Plagg nodded and followed Adrien out of the room. 

Adrien found his father’s office empty to his relief. Strange enough, the computer was left on and logged in. Adrien frowned, his father would never be so careless as to leave it open. Then Adrien froze, the name of the file his father must have been viewing before leaving: Marinette Dupain-Cheng

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... This seems like a good spot to take a break and go on hiatus. ;) 
> 
> If you are looking for a completed story to binge while stuck at home, [Check out "Miraculous: Bonds"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21312601/chapters/50753122)


	10. Shocking Result

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawkmoth sends his akuma after Marinette. Adrien learns the truth.

Adrien

Adrien stared at the screen in disbelief. Why did his father have a file on Marinette? He opened the file and found a number of reports.

Entry 1:  _ Today I almost akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng twice. Both times, she managed to calm down before my akuma could possess her. Still, I was able to feel the power she would wield: the power of creation. It was like nothing I ever felt before. No doubt, Ms. Dupain-Cheng could be the perfect akuma to finally get rid of those cursed heroes. _

Adrien backed away from the computer slowly, his face pale. The words used, the intention. Marinette. He felt his breathing speed up as Plagg tried to calm him down. But it would take a lot to calm Adrien down after what he just realized: his father was Hawkmoth.

“Kid, please try to calm down a little,” Plagg pleaded.

Adrien looked at him with bewilderment, “Calm down?” his breathing came in short gasps. “Plagg, how am I supposed to calm down from this?” He pointed at the computer screen, his hand still shaking. “My father is Hawkmoth and he’s targeting Marinette!”

Plagg nodded his understanding. “Keep reading, if he said that much, then maybe he has his current plans written down.” Adrien took a deep breath, nodding his understanding. He moved back over to the computer and read the next entry.

Entry 2:  _ Lila Rossi had snuck in the house to spend time with Adrien under pretence. She lied her way past Natalhie and Adrien’s bodyguard. While I am disappointed in Nathalie, Ms. Rossi’s skills in deceit are impressive. She would be a useful asset in akumatizing Ms. Dupain-Cheng. But I had to allow her to be Adrien’s friend. While I won’t let her in the mansion to be alone with Adrien again, she will be rewarded after she makes Marinette Dupain-Cheng vulnerable to my akuma. _

Entry 3:  _ Ms. Rossi has executed a near flawless plan. In addition to Ms. Dupain-Cheng being akumatized, a number of my victims were akumatized again. Due to Natalhie’s failing health, I was forced to cut my plans short of fruition. This event however only confirmed that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is the one that will finally get me the miraculous. But first, I must find someone to be my Catalyst, Nathalie is far too ill to retake her mantle. _

Entry 4:  _ Despite my reservations, I have recruited Ms. Rossi to become Catalyst. She eagerly accepted with the promise that she would become a model for the brand and after some time be in a relationship with Adrien. A necessary alliance but Adrien’s friends are still emotionally vulnerable and we still have another opportunity. _

Entry 5:  _ Words cannot describe the anger I feel. Almost all the students in that classroom were akumatized and yet Ms. Dupain-Cheng still managed to escape. From what I heard, Adrien had a hand in her escape. My son’s need to protect his friends continues to inhibit me from my goals. A new plan must be put in place. At least I captured the Guardian, but he refuses to talk. _

Entry 6:  _ Ms. Rossi shall become Volpina again and steal Ms. Dupain-Cheng’s sketchbook. Combined with a message that Adrien will be removed from school due to her actions, Ms Dupain-Cheng will be finally overwhelmed. Even without additional villains supporting her, Princess Justice will finally win this war. _

Entry 7:  _ Volpina succeeded in stealing the sketchbook. Soon Ms. Dupain-Cheng will be broken and Princess Justice will finally allow me to heal Emelie back to full health. Perhaps once it is done, I will rid myself of Ms. Rossi. She is a golddigger and a compulsive liar that can’t be trusted nor approved by Emelie. Ms. Dupain-Cheng is a far better candidate to be a suiter for Adrien. Then my beloved Emelie will be returned to a family that is happy. _

Adrien felt his blood freeze at the final entry: his mother was alive? All this time his father had told him that his mother was missing and no one knew what happened to her. “How could he lie to me about her for so long?” Adrien began to freak out more as he considered the final entry: how sick was his mother. “We have to find my mother fast and find out what’s wrong! How could he do this, Plagg?”

The kwami shook his head, “Some people are desperate, Adrien. I have seen it over the centuries, people abusing the powers of us kwamis to achieve a goal they believe to be good.” 

Adrien nodded as he traced the file back to it’s folder, titled: Personal Projects. In it, Adrien found other files labeled: Failed Akumas, Strongest Akumas, Potential Targets, Known Miraculous Wielders. Adrien opened the last one and was shocked to learn that Hawkmoth knew all of their allies' secret identities. Adrien turned to Plagg horrified, “Plagg, how could he know all of this?” 

“Your father is rich, kid. Money can buy a lot of things these days.” Plagg noticed something sticking out on the desk. “Kid, is your dad the kind of guy that would have a pink sketchbook?”

Adrien looked at the book Plagg was pointing out and removed it from the stack. “This is Marinette’s sketchbook. That means his plan to akumatize her may have already started! Plagg, we have to go find her before he does!”

“Hold your horses, kid! We need to think this through before we go jumping out windows,” Plagg remarked.

“But where would he go to do it? Hawkmoth never came out in the open for a single akuma, only for the few occasions where he led an army or when he came to Mayura’s aid.”

Plagg nodded, “He has a secret place for that perhaps. He might even have a secret lair right here in the mansion.” Adrien glanced at the kwami in shock before he began searching his father’s files for the blueprints of the mansion. Max had Markov hack into the mansion’s power grid once, which led them to discover that the mansion has an insane power supply. They dismissed it at the time in order to have an insane party.

Adrien found what he was looking for: the mansion blueprints. He examined them carefully, looking for rooms he didn’t recognize or hidden areas. He soon found one: A tunnel leading down under the floor right in front of his mother’s portrait in the office. The tunnel leads to a large chamber with two smaller ones leading off to the side of it. “Guess you were right about that secret lair, Plagg.”

“Trust your father to be a cliche supervillain.” Adrien gave him a glare, not at all amused. “Sorry, trying to lighten the mood a little.”

“My father is a terrorist and is keeping my mother, who was actually alive all this time, hidden away from me. The mood isn’t going to be light for a while.” Adrien turned away and walked over to his mother’s portrait. He examined it closely, looking for anything out of place. That’s when he found it: one of the shapes in the portrait was sticking out slightly. He found several other buttons just like it. 

He tried pushing them individually, but it had no effect. Adrien frowned, then tried pushing all of them at the same time. He heard a humming noise below him. Suddenly, Adrien felt himself drop, the elevator taking him down. As Plagg zipped after him, Adrien shook his head. His father was a cliche supervillain after all. 

  
  


Gabriel

Nathalie’s body laid the ground, her lifeless eyes staring at Gabriel. Gabriel’s revolver was still smoking as he grabbed Fu and dragged him away. “That woman signed a death wish to help you and you kill her?”

“She exposed my identity and compromised Emelie’s safety by showing you this room. I can’t afford to let anyone stop me when I am this close to achieving my goals,” Gabriel stated coldly.

“I know what you are planning to do with the miraculous,” the Guardian cried. “It won’t work, not the way you think it will. The Miracle Wish requires sacrifice that you are unwilling to make.”

“There is nothing I won’t give up for Emelie,” Gabriel stated plainly.

“Not even your son, Adrien?” Gabriel didn’t reply, forcing the Guardian to sit back down in his chair. “If you go through with this, you will lose everything you love.”

The butterfly miraculous began to glow. Gabriel gave Fu a confident smirk, “I’m about to get everything I lost back.” Gabriel went out and pulled Nathalie’s corpse away from Emelie’s chamber into Fu’s cell. Satisfied that the body was now out of Emelie’s sight and the Guardian was secure.

As Gabriel moved to slam the door shut on Fu, the Guardian murmured, “Or lose what you still have.” 

Gabriel entered the room with the giant window. “Nooroo, dark wings rise!” Hawkmoth reached for a butterfly and infused it with evil. “Fly away, my akuma, and evilize her!” 

  
  


Kagami

Kagami felt rage burning inside of her heart, mixing with the pain of rejection she had been feeling. Adrien had told her that he was too busy to spend time with her, yet she saw him enjoying breakfast with Marinette. Did Adrien lie and tell her that he had a photoshoot?

Kagami shook that thought out of her mind; Adrien would never lie to his friends. He must have bailed on the shoot or something. That also seemed out of character for Adrien though. Kagami had always seen Adrien as the perfect child, just like herself; that's why she believed they were a good match. 

She was still stewing over these thoughts when a cyclist stopped beside her. “Hey, you’re Marinette’s friend Kagami, right?” a calm voice asked.

Kagami turned to identify the speaker, recognizing him as the guitarist friend of Adrien and Marinette. “Yes,” she confirmed, frowning as she tried to remember his name. “I’m sorry, what is your name again?”

“Luka,” the older boy gave her a shy smile. He had a stack of boxes mounted on the back of his bike, Kagami noted. Luka must be delivering for a company. “Are you okay? Your song seems,” the boy frowned for a moment. “Out of tune.”

Kagami frowned, “What do you mean? Can you read my aura?”

“The last time we met, your song was serious and somber with a hint of joy. As if you were feeling pressured to perform to a high level of excellence, but you are trying to have some fun. Now your song seems agitated and fast, meaning you are angry right now.” Luka tilted his head at her, “What’s on your mind?”

Kagami sighed, “I decided to stop waiting for Marinette and Adrien to make up their minds and make a move. I asked Adrien out yesterday and he said he would be too busy today with a photoshoot. Then earlier this morning, I saw Adrien eating at a diner with Marinette.”

Luka nodded as she told him what happened. “I guess Marinette finally told him then. That’s good, I guess.”

Kagami sighed, “Maybe, but yesterday Adrien told me they haven’t even talked about it. Adrien knows about her feelings, but is too afraid that he’ll lose Marinette as a friend to talk to her about it.”

“Then they are still on the right track for them to be happy,” Luka pointed out.

“And what about us? I know you have a thing for Marinette,  _ everyone _ knows you are in love with her.”

Luka sighed, “I made my peace with the fact that Marinette’s heart belongs with someone else a long time ago.”

Kagami thought back to that morning, then to the time she got akumatized from jealousy over a picture of Adrien with another girl. “How do you manage to move on?”

“Mostly meditation and playing music. It doesn’t take the pain away, but it helps.”

Kagami considered his words for a moment. “Can I come over and join you sometime? Even just to listen?”

“Sure, you can come over during the evening sometime. Or after school if you want; the band broke up recently and I don’t think it will get back together anytime soon.” Luka checked the time on his watch and gave her an apologetic smile, “Sorry, I got to finish my deliveries, but stop by sometime?” Kagami nodded her thanks as Luka set off to finish his deliveries. Did this mean she had a new friend?

  
  


Marinette

Marinette entered her room, a confident smile on her face. Her parents eagerly agreed to shelter Adrien in their home, ready to assist in a lawsuit against Gabriel Agreste. Gabriel Agreste may have greater resources, but Marinette had plenty of her own connections to ensure this wouldn’t be buried by Gabriel. Marinette scowled as she remembered she wanted to work for him. Those were the dreams of a foolish girl, Marinette realized as she started looking for her sketchbook. 

Marinette frowned when she didn’t find her sketchbook on her crafting table. She could have sworn she left it there. “Tikki, do you know where I left my sketchbook?”

The kwami shook her head, “No Marinette. I thought you always leave it on your crafting table?” 

Marinette searched frantically around her room, desperate to find her sketchbook. Panic began to grow inside her, the sketchbook nowhere to be found. “No, no, no! All my projects and commissions are in there!”

“Calm down, Marinette. I’m sure it’s somewhere in here! I will go look on your balcony, maybe you left it there by accident.” 

“Thanks, Tikki.” As Tikki phased through the trap door, Marinette sat down in her chair fiddling with the lucky charm Adrien had made for her. She needed to calm down before…

On the table, her phone buzzed. Marinette grabbed it and turned on the screen, an email notification popping up. She opened it and was surprised to find that it was from Gabriel Agreste.

_ Ms. Dupain-Cheng, _

_ Due to recent events involving you and my son Adrien, I have decided that you and his friends are a bad influence on him and am therefore withdrawing him from public schooling immediately. He will be homeschooled with Ms. Lila Rossi, the only student from the school I find appropriate for him to associate with. I do not blame my misguided son nor Ms. Rossi but you, Ms. Dupain-Cheng.Your actions and your influence on my son have led me to make this decision. After today I have seen that Adrien was better off in the house without his so-called friends. Know that neither you nor the other students from the school are allowed to contact my son, I can not allow these friendships to continue. The only positive outcome that resulted from my son’s social experiment in this mediocre school is meeting someone like Ms. Rossi who I will be honored to consider for his future. I am grateful that she has expressed a romantic interest in him even if you continue to interject yourself in their happiness. Stop harassing my son, I will never approve a romantic relationship between the two of you and in fact am considering advising him to date Lila. She is an excellent match for Adrien. Do not contact either of us in the future, you will receive no response.  _

_ Gabriel Agreste. _

“No, he can’t,” Marinette whispered, her helplessness immobilizing her. She only made things worse for Adrien and now he had to suffer because of her actions. Marinette felt the tears roll down her cheeks, the purple butterfly entering the lucky charm around her wrist escaping her notice.

Marinette saw a purple outline glow float in front of her face, the voice of Hawkmoth in her mind. “Princess Justice, your work has been stolen and your beloved wrongfully punished. But worry not, I can give you the power you need to punish to those who do evil without anyone bringing justice to their victims. In return, I ask that you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous!”

Before she could answer him, the voice spoke again. “You? What are you doing here? How did you find me?” Suddenly the connection between Marinette and Hawkmoth cut off, a now purified akuma flying around Marinette’s room. 

Marinette sagged her chair, relieved to be free of the akuma. She frowned at the butterfly, asking, “What just happened?”

  
  


Adrien

The elevator stopped, letting him out into a vast chamber. A small bridge sat across a pond, leading to a little island with a strange object on it. Taking a deep breath, Adrien crossed the bridge. Adrien realized that the object was a large cylinder with a control panel sitting next to it. The side facing him was transparent, the contents visible.

Adrien gasped in shock when he saw his mother’s motionless body, her eyes closed as if asleep. “How could he keep this from me?” Adrien whispered. It was one thing to read his father’s notes about his mother, it was another to actually see her in the flesh. 

Plagg sat quietly on Adrien’s shoulder, observing the comatose woman. “She is barely alive there, Adrien. Whatever this machine is, it’s barely keeping her from slipping away.”

“What happened to you, mom?” Adrien’s voice was a whimper as he asked from the woman in the cylinder. 

Adrien put his hand on the glass of the cylinder and gazed blankly at his mother. Plagg dropped his eyes to the floor;he felt sick seeing someone made to stay alive in such a cruel way. Plagg knew that Emelie wasn’t aware of what's going on around her, but the way Gabriel was clinging to her felt wrong.

Plagg looked away from the unconscious Emelie and noticed the red stain on the floor. “Adrien, look.”

Adrien’s gaze slowly followed the direction in which the kwami was pointing, gasping when he saw the stain. “Is that blood?”

“I don’t think we are the first ones down here, Adrien. This whole thing stinks more than my cheese,” Plagg insisted. 

Adrien glared at the kwami before he nodded his agreement, examining the blood. “It still hasn't dried out completely. That means whoever came down here before us was just here.” A wave of realization hit him. “Plagg, does this mean my father,” Adrien hesitated, he didn’t want to say the words but they forced themselves out. “Killed someone?”

Plagg didn’t answer. In all his years, he never had a Chosen go through something like this. One of Tikki’s Chosen did a few centuries ago, but Plagg couldn’t remember how they solved that one. Or if they even solved it at all. “Adrien, maybe we should go get Ladybug, maybe some more backup heroes and bring them here before we go any farther.”

Adrien nodded, “Good idea, Plagg. Let’s get out of here!” With one last look at his mother, Adrien turned and rushed back over to the elevator.

They were about to head back up when they heard some sort of whirring noise from one of the side rooms. “Plagg, claws out.” Before the kwami could protest, he was sucked into the ring. Transformed, Chat Noir ventured numbly through the open door. 

He heard the all too familiar voice saying, “Princess Justice, your work has been stolen and your beloved wrongfully punished. But worry not, I can give you the power you need to punish to those who do evil without anyone bringing justice to their victims. In return, I ask that you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous!”

Chat’s eyes widened as he realized his father was trying to akumatize Marinette right then. Without another thought, Chat Noir burst into the room screaming, “No!” 

Hawkmoth turned to face him, a confused look on his face. “You? What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

Chat didn’t reply, swinging his baton as hard as he could. He managed to knock Hawkmoth over, the purple outline fading out as the villain lost connection with his victim. Chat Noir growled at Hawkmoth, “You will never hurt her!”

Hawkmoth glared at him, then smirked. “You seem pretty worked up! If I can’t have Princess Justice, then perhaps you will have to do!” The villain snatched a butterfly and infused it with his evil. “Lets see Ladybug fight her closest ally!”

Hawkmoth threw the akuma at Chat Noir, the hero had no time to dodge. The akuma entered the bell around Chat Noir’s neck, turning it black as a purple outline appeared across the hero’s face.


	11. little kitty on a roof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week later.

Marinette

It has been almost a week since anyone has seen Adrien. He hasn’t been spotted outside of Agreste Mansion since last week Saturday when he ran away from a photoshoot with Marinette. He hasn’t replied to any calls or messages from his classmates, the first few days of calling going to voicemail, then calls just went directly to voicemail, no doubt because the phone had run out of power. Or his father had taken it away from him again.

When she made a public inquiry, Gabriel’s new assistant had told them that Adrien was pulled out of school and sent to an old family home outside of Paris and Nathalie had accompanied him there to ensure that he remained on schedule with his studies and other activities. The notice was sent three days late, odd considering Gabriel’s strictness on keeping things in order.

She tried calling Chat Noir, but for once the stray cat decided not to pick up the phone. Marinette hadn’t seen Chat since their last patrol, with him making no other appearances. Marinette knew they were laying low still, but she was frustrated he wasn’t responding. 

Marinette tried to find time all week to try and locate Gabriel’s old family home, but her class was still a mess from Lila’s deceit. On Monday, Rose hugged her in tears, begging Marinette for forgiveness. Marinette had hugged her gently, telling her she was forgiven. When Rose asked for help with apologizing to Juleka, Marinette told her they weren’t there yet. The next day, Mylene and Ivan stopped her. The only couple left standing both apologized to her, recognizing that they should have listened to Marinette as they had known her for so long. Marinette told them the same thing as Rose, that she forgives them but isn’t ready to be friends again.

Wednesday, she was in her room after school searching up on the Agreste family’s known holdings when Nino called. “Hey, Nino. What’s up?”

His voice came over filled with concern, “Have you been able to find anything out about Adrien?”

“No, I’m still looking up the Agreste’s family holdings, trying to find anything like the house Gabriel’s new assistant said Adrien was sent to.” Marinette balanced her phone on her shoulder as she scrolled through the search results. “So far I found nothing that matches it.”

“I might have an idea, but I personally don’t like it.” Nino didn’t sound too eager about it, but Marinette was getting desperate.

“What is it?” she asked him.

“Remember Adrien’s cousin Félix? The guy who deleted our video messages and caused a three way akumatization?” Nino asked.

Marinette scowled as she remembered him, “Yeah, he was awful. What about him?”

“Adrien gave me his number not too long ago, saying I should try and reach out to him. Something about Félix needing more friends and it would be good for him if I reached out.”

“And did you?” Marinette asked. If Nino had some kind of connection with Félix already, it would make getting a straight answer all the easier.

“Uh, no. The guy impersonated my best bro and tried to ruin our friendship!” Nino exclaimed.

“I guess we'll just have to hope that he is in a helping mood,” Marinette decided.

“Okay, do you want me to come over to the bakery first?” Nino asked her.

“Yeah, that would be better, then I can listen in.”

“Okay, I’m on my way!”

Ten minutes later, Nino knocked on the apartment door. Marinette opened it and greeted a hesitant Nino, looking down as he shuffled his feet awkwardly. “Hey, Nino!”

“Hey, Marinette,” he greeted. Nino rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “Look, about everything that happened, I’m sorry. I should’ve noticed right away that Adrien was uncomfortable and that she lied. I can’t excuse myself for not being a good friend, Marinette, but I am sorry.”

Marinette flashed him a sad comforting smile, “But you came around before I finally revealed her lies.”

“Only because I overheard you telling Adrien not to let Lila touch him when he doesn’t want to be touched. I should’ve been using my own eyes to realize everything was not okay.” Nino sighed, “Alya told me they were dating, so I assumed Adrien was okay with it.” 

“Nino, Lila had a lot of people fooled from the start,” Marinette offered. “You and Alya were dating, you two were always honest. Alya is the one who made Lila’s credibility soar.” She led him into the living room as she continued, “Alya is supposed to always check her sources’ integrity.”

Nino shrugged, “It's still on me for not thinking for myself, Marinette. Please forgive me.” 

“I forgive you, Nino,” Marinette said, flashing him a reassuring smile. “Anyways, you have Félix’s number?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah, I’ll put it on speaker phone,” Nino said as he opened Félix’s contact and pressed the call button. A moment later, a message popped up, informing them that the number they are trying to call has blocked Nino’s number. “I guess Adrien gave him my number as well then.”

Marinette frowned, “Do you think Adrien would have given Félix my number too?”

“Has he ever talked to you about Félix?” Nino asked, seeing where she was going. 

“No, so then Félix shouldn’t have my number then.” Marinette punched in the number into her own phone and hit the video call option. 

They had to wait a few moments before Félix picked up. Félix resembled Adrien greatly, she acknowledged, though instead of a smile, Félix instead wore a scowl. “Who are you and why are you calling me?”

“Hello, Félix right?” Marinette asked. When he didn’t respond, Marinette continued, “I’m a friend of Adrien’s and we haven’t seen or heard from him in a while.”

“And what do you expect me to do about it?” Félix asked, still scowling at her.

“Does your family own any old family homes, or do the Agrestes? We want to make sure Adrien is okay,” Marinette explained to Félix.

“My family only has one old house in the family, which my mother and I live in. As far as my Uncle’s family is concerned, they don’t have any other holdings beside his mansion. The money came from my mother’s side of the family.”

“Is there any way you can find out where Adrien is maybe?” Marinette pleaded.

Félix narrowed his eyes, “Perhaps I could if I had some motivation.”

“What might that be?” Marinette asked cautiously.

Félix smirked, “Well you give me a little show, perhaps then I will be motivated to help you out.”

Before Félix could elaborate, Marinette ended the call, a look of disgust on her face. Nino gave her a wary look. “Are you okay?”

Marinette took a deep breath, “At least he told us that Gabriel doesn’t have any houses outside of the mansion here in Paris. That means Adrien must still be in there somewhere.”

Nino frowned at her, “You are not thinking of breaking in, are you?”

“No, but a friend of mine might be willing to help me out.”

“You mean Chat Noir?” a voice asked from the doorway. Marinette and Nino turned to see Alya standing there, looking down at her feet. “Sorry, I let myself in.”

“Then you can let yourself out,” Marinette said abruptly, leaving the room before Alya could say anymore.

Nino guided Alya out. “She’s been stressing out the last couple of days over Adrien.”

“Do you think she will ever let me in again, Nino?” Alya asked.

Nino sighed, shrugging as he looked ahead, “I don’t know, this whole thing has been a mess.” They walked off in silence, unaware that Marinette was watching them from her balcony. She felt bad for being harsh with Alya, but Marinette didn’t have any patience at the moment. 

The minute darkness fell on Paris, Multimouse was bounding across rooftops to Agreste Mansion. Jumping across the gap, she landed perfectly on Adrien’s window sill. Peering inside, she saw no sign of Adrien in the room. Multimouse attempted to open the window, only to find it locked this time. Inspecting the wall, she found a small hole in the wall leading into the room.

“Multitude!” Multimouse began shrinking, multiple copies of herself splitting off. “Okay, everyone take a spot in the mansion, we need to look for any sign of Adrien.” Receiving multiple nods, the lead Multimouse went about Adrien’s room to search for signs that he was there recently. There was a bag sitting on his bed, still open. Hopping onto the bed, Multimouse inspected the contents of the bag. Basic essentials, clothes, some money, a few photos, a laptop… and a folded piece of paper sitting next to an envelope with Adrien’s name on it.

She opened it slightly, barely reading the first word:  _ Adrien. _

Before Multimouse could read further, another Multimouse grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. “That new assistant is coming, we must get out of here.” They hurried back outside, watching as the young brunette woman walked in. She looked around quickly, then left. The minute the door closed again, Multimouse’s copies merged back together again. She rushed back home, barely dropping back through her trapdoor before her transformation fell. Tikki flew over, “Did you find any sign of Adrien?”

Marinette shook her head, “There was no sign of him. Wherever Gabriel is keeping Adrien, it’s not in the mansion.

Tikki rubbed against her Chosen’s cheek comfortingly. “We will find him, Marinette. But you should go to sleep, otherwise you will be too exhausted to help Adrien.” Marinette nodded, turning off her lights. Sleep was hard to find, but Marinette soon found herself drifting away.

The next morning, Marinette droned through school, rejecting offers to hangout. She was at her limit, she decided. Once school was out, Ladybug was going to have a  _ chat  _ with Gabriel Agreste. When classes finally ended, she was already moving to get home quickly when Alya stopped her. “Marinette, I’m sorry. Can we please talk?”

Marinette sighed, might as well get it over with. “Fine, what is it, Alya?”

“I’m sorry for everything, I should have listened to you. All I cared about was getting a scoop for my blog. I failed as both a friend and a reporter. Please forgive me?” Alya begged, the pain in her voice clear as day. 

Marinette took a deep breath, “I forgive you, Alya. But this doesn’t mean I’m ready to be friends again.”

Alya nodded, “I can do that. Do mind if I walk with you home? Just to talk?”

“Sure,” Marinette accepted. They walked together without speaking for a moment, then Marinette spoke up, “I’m sorry for what happened with your blog.”

“It’s not your fault, anyone of those celebrities Lila claimed to know could have viewed the blog and seen the interviews.” Alya sighed, “I just wish that I realized the truth sooner.”

Marinette paused for a moment, then asked, “Yesterday, I mentioned a friend that might be willing to help me out, you asked if I meant Chat Noir. Why?”

Alya pulled out her phone and showed Marinette a picture. It was them, the night Marinette was feeling down after Adrien didn’t show up for ice cream. Chat had come to visit her after seeing Marinette out on her balcony. He was feeling down after Marinette, well Ladybug, blew him off. They chatted a little and then Chat showed her the surprise he had ready for Ladybug, cheering her up a little.

“There are more of these from a few people on the blog submitted over the last couple of months with you two chatting on the balcony. I know you’re head over heels for Adrien, so I assume you two are just friends. I managed to keep these from being posted, otherwise Marichat might end being a thing.”

“Oh thanks, Alya.” They walked quietly for a moment before Marinette asked her, “So what are you up to?”

“I’m gonna join the protesters at the Eiffel Tower later. There is a group calling for the unmasking and after Ladybug never told me I was posting lies on my blog, I want to know who she is.” Marinette didn’t reply, knowing full well she could have revealed Lila months ago .

They fell in silence again, walking quietly. Suddenly, a girl about a year younger than them rushed up to Alya. “Excuse me, you are the Ladyblogger right?”

“Sorry, not anymore,” Alya apologized to the girl.

The girl didn’t seem to hesitate at the fact, “Do you still have contact with Ladybug?”

“Not recently, it has been a while since she has approached me.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks anyway.” The girl walked away seeming defeated.

Marinette noticed the girl’s shaking hands and called to her, “Wait! What did you want to tell Ladybug?”

“This is gonna sound crazy, but I think I saw Chat Noir. But he was different, like a completely new look.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette pressed, fear rising up inside of her.

“He was white instead of black, and his eyes were this chilling blue. I only saw him for a moment before he disappeared,” the girl said. “Does this mean Chat Noir has gotten akumatized?” 

Alya put a hand on the girl's shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, I'm sure if something is wrong with Chat Noir, Ladybug will help him. Right, Marinette?" When no answer came, Alya turned around to look for her. "Marinette?" But Marinette was long gone.

  
  


Chat Blanc

The while clad hero watched as Marinette ran into the bakery. It had been five days since Chat Blanc had been akumatized by Hawkmoth, the man who was also his father. 

When the akuma went inside of his bell, Chat Noir had felt Hawkmoth try to take control of him. "Chat Blanc, your friend is being threatened. I can give you the power to protect her and destroy anyone who tries to harm her. In return, bring me Ladybug's miraculous and give me your ring."

"Never, father," Chat bit out as he struggled against the akuma.

Hawkmoth stared at him in shock, "Adrien? You're Chat Noir? You stupid child! All this time I have been trying to save your mother and you have been trying to stop me?" 

Chat had frozen, his eyes widening at the mention of his mother. The last barrier of resistance snapped inside of him as all the pain anger from the past half hour poured out. "Mom," the emotionally drained boy whispered before the akuma finally won inside of him. He turned into Chat Blanc, a nightmare version of himself. 

Hawkmoth grinned, “Rise my son, and get me Ladybug’s miraculous!” Finally he could fulfill his goal and bring Emelie back. Who knew it would his own son, who had opposed him for so long, would be the one who wins this war. 

Chat Blanc shook his head, Hawkmoth’s voice echoing in his head, demanding the miraculous. But the purpose of which he took the power boost from the akuma was louder: Protect Marinette. “N-no,” he said, his voice shaking as he struggled to stay sane. “I. Will. Never. Help. You!” With that, a white cataclysm formed in Chat Blanc’s hand and he destroyed the window. Ignoring Hawkmoth’s screams for him to stop, fleeing across the city as a white blur. He had one objective in mind: keep Marinette safe.

Now five days later, Chat was perched on her roof, watching her run inside the bakery. He had managed to stay out of sight so far. Chat Blanc hadn’t slept at all, keeping a constant vigil over Marinette. He would follow her to school and follow her back home again. He even followed Multimouse to Agreste Mansion. That was particularly stressful for him, watching her sneak into the guarded mansion. But she made it out okay and that was relieving for him.

Hawkmoth had tried to establish a mental connection multiple times, but he ignored the villain. Hawkmoth couldn’t take away his powers without breaking his object, so Chat Blanc figured if he laid low he wouldn’t have to lose his powers. Then Marinette would be protected.

“Chat?” Marinette’s voice came from behind him, a hint of fear mixed with concern in her tone. Chat Blanc froze, no one had managed to spot him before now. He was about to jump away to retreat, but he saw Marinette reach out her hand up to stop him. “Chat, no! Please stay with me.” 

Chat turned to face her, the fear in his icy-blue eyes meeting the concern in her bluebell eyes. He remained tense for a moment until she beckoned him to come down. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a moment.” She went back into her room, leaving him alone. Chat considered slipping away, but shook that thought away. He could trust Marinette, she wouldn’t betray him.

Marinette returned five long minutes later, a plate of short rib beef bourguignon leftover from last night and a mug of hot chocolate. “Here, I brought you something to eat.” She offered him the plate, giving him a small smile. Chat nervously took the plate from her. “Are you okay?”

He blinked at her, “Aren’t you freaked out that I was akumatized?”

“I know you would never hurt me, Chat, no matter what colour your suit is,” she reassured him. Marinette remembered the alternate timeline Chat Blanc all too well, but this was different. This Chat Blanc didn’t know her identity. Marinette ran a hand through his hair, causing him to close his eyes in contentment. A small purr came from his chest, causing Marinette to smile. “What happened, Chat?”

He stopped purring, “He was trying to akumatize you.”

“How did you know that Chat?” she asked, eyes narrowing. The only other one who knew about her last almost-akumatization was Tikki. Since that attempt, no other butterflies have come for her. Marinette had tried to find her sketchbook since then to no avail.

“I found this file on his computer about you and his attempts to use you,” Chat’s voice began to tremble as he told her what happened. “I found his lair and overheard him trying to akumatize you. I attacked him to stop him from getting you, but I was so angry he managed to get me instead.”

“Hawkmoth?” Marinette asked. Chat Blanc only nodded his head, staying silent. “Chat, how did you find Hawkmoth?”

Chat trembled as he whispered quietly, “He is my father.”

Marinette froze,  _ Hawkmoth was Chat Noir’s father? _ No wonder the akuma was able to possess him, that information is kinda hard to process for anyone. “Chat, are you sure?”

“I found the files on his computer, then his lair.” Chat took a deep breath, then looked at her with tear-filled eyes, “my father has my mother down there, in some kind of stasis. Father has hid her from me, lied to me all this time, saying she was missing.”

Marinette felt her breath catch in her throat, there was only one person she knew that referred to their parents as ‘father’ and ‘mother’. It took a lot of willpower not to whisper Adrien’s name to Chat Blanc as he collapsed in her arms, crying. She patted his head, whispering in his ear soothingly. “Chat, have you tried to speak to Ladybug?”

He shook his head, “No, not yet.”

“Chat, you need to meet up with Ladybug and tell her everything you told me,” Marinette insisted. “Together, you can make a plan to stop Hawkmoth once and for all.”

“But, I can’t leave. Or he will be able to hurt you!” Chat insisted.

“If you meet with Ladybug, then together you can stop Hawkmoth. Then I will always be safe,” Marinette reasoned with him.

Slowly, Chat began to nod his understanding. “Ok, I’ll reach out to Ladybug.” He began pulling out his baton when Marinette threw up her hands.

“Wait! Not here, do it at the Eiffel Tower.” When Chat gave her a questioning look she reasoned, “It's safer for me if you go to meet her there instead.” The akumatized hero nodded and jumped off, leaving her behind as he rushed away. Marinette let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in. She never thought she would have to face Chat Blanc again, praying to never relive that nightmare.  _ Was Adrien really Chat Noir? _

Tikki zipped out from her hiding place to talk to Marinette. “Do you think Hawkmoth could really be Chat Noir’s father?”

“Only one way to find out. Tikki, spots on!” Moments later she was swinging up to the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug’s eyes widened with shock as she saw Chat Blanc facing off Hawkmoth, Chat Blanc preparing to fire a cataclysm at the villain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter updates are gonna come a bit slower as online exams for college around the corner. Stay safe everyone!


	12. Silent Scream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The author tries to write an akuma fight scene.

Chat Blanc

Chat arrived at the Eiffel Tower hopeful to talk to Ladybug and get rid of the akuma inside of him. Then together they could take down Hawkmoth and Marinette will be safe for good. 

But before Chat could pull out his staff to call her, Hawkmoth stepped out of his hiding spot. Chat did not wait for the villain to say anything to taunt him, instead he raised his hand and shouted, “Mega cataclysm!” A ball of white cataclysmic energy formed in his palm, aimed at the villian. Just as he was about to fire the cataclysm, a very familiar yoyo wrapped around his arm and pulled it back. The cataclysm flew just over Hawkmoth’s shoulder, barely missing him. The energy hit one of the main support beams of the Eiffel Tower, destroying a piece of it.

Chat snarled, turning to see who dared stop him from destroying Hawkmoth. His eyes widened at the sight of Ladybug. “Chat, don’t kill him!” Ladybug cried as she dropped down. “We need to take his miraculous, then this is all over!” 

But Chat Blanc wasn’t listening, his tortured mind was focused on a single goal: Eliminate all threats to Marinette’s safety. “No, I can’t let him go.” He whirled back around to face Hawkmoth, just in time to see Hawkmoth swinging his cane in a wicked arc. The villain sent Chat flying into a support pillar. 

Before the villain could move in on the akumatized hero, Ladybug swung and kicked him off of the platform. She rushed over to Chat Blanc intent on smashing his bell and getting her partner back. Chat opened his eyes and put a hand protectively over his bell as he rolled over. “M’lady, I can’t let you purify me. Not until my princess is safe!”

“Chat, you are not okay. The akuma is messing with your head and I can help you,” Ladybug pleaded with him. It hurt to see him this way and she wanted nothing more than to heal him. 

“But my princess is not safe!” Chat protested, a ball of white cataclysmic energy forming in his right hand.

“She is safe Chat, I promise you this. You can trust me right?” she asked him, placing her yoyo at her hip and holding her hand out to him. Chat Blanc’s ice blue eyes locking with her blue eyes, then flashing to her outstretched hand. Ladybug could see the conflict in his eyes, the inward struggle between his sanity and the akuma possessing him. “It’s you and me against the world, Kitty. Always will be no, matter what happens between us. I promise.”

The ball of cataclysmic energy began to slowly shrink, his hand lowering. Suddenly his eyes flashed to something behind her and Chat aimed the cataclysm and fired it at Hawkmoth. The villain barely managed to jump out of the way of the blast, the cataclysm destroying another chunk of the Eiffel Tower. Chat stalked towards Hawkmoth, intent on taking out the villain once and for all.

Suddenly, Ladybug cast her yoyo, smashing the bell and releasing the akuma. While the heroes were distracted, Hawkmoth grinned as he sensed the broken connection with Chat Blanc fade away completely. He opened the top of his cane and released the hidden akuma, sending it down to the protesters below. Now that his son was no longer preventing him from targeting a new victim, he was free to akumatize whoever he wished. 

Behind him, Ladybug caught the akuma as Chat Blanc reverted back to Chat Noir, unaware of the second akuma. “Chat, are you okay?” she asked her partner softly.

Chat gasped for a moment, all the memories of being Chat Blanc staying with him. “Hawkmoth,” he panted, his mind still reeling from all the secrets he had uncovered. “He’s my father.”

“We need to take his miraculous, Chat,” Ladybug said to him softly. “Then this can all end.”

Chat Noir nodded, getting to his feet and standing tall. “Let’s end this. Cataclysm!” he cried, the black energy forming around his hand.

“Lucky Charm!” A magnet attached to a handle landed in her hands. Ladybug stared at it confused, taking a quick look around before looking at the lucky charm again. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

  
  


Alya

“We deserve to know the truth!” Alya called out through her megaphone, brandishing her sigh up high with the words  **_UNMASK AND BE RESPONSIBLE!_ ** written on it. “Secret identities only prevent them from taking responsibility!”

“You’re one to talk!” a civilian cried out from across the street. “You can’t even keep the facts straight!”

“I didn’t know!” Alya called back, her face heating up. She wasn’t expecting to be recognized as the former Ladyblogger out in the streets, but some people clearly didn’t forget her blog and how it got taken down.

“I thought you were the one with all the facts of Ladybug?” another person called out. “Why did you post so much information from a girl no one had ever seen with Ladybug? What kind of reporter are you?”

“I thought she was my friend!” Alya cried, tears starting to roll down her cheek. But more people began to shout at her, joining in on the Alya-bashing.

“You failed at your job!”

“You are not trustworthy!”

“Ladybug would never trust you!” The comments kept coming, Alya’s voice no longer heard amongst the accusations. 

Alya felt the tears streaming down her cheek, whispering, “Please stop.” She dropped to her knees, not seeing the akuma enter her megaphone.   
  
A purple outline appeared over Alya’s face, her face reddening. Hawkmoth’s voice spoke inside in her mind, “Silent Scream, I am Hawkmoth. People no longer want to hear what you have to say. I can give you the power to make them hear you and feel your pain. In return, I ask that you take Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous!”

“Yes, Hawkmoth,” Alya growled, the dark energy consuming her and transforming her. Silent Scream’s design was similar to Lady Wifi except her face was concealed by a black mask and she had a sonic gun instead of a cell phone. She leapt up onto the Eiffel tower, intent on taking the miraculous from Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Silent Scream sneaked onto the platform, Ladybug was staring at her lucky charm confused. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Chat Noir shook his head, “We need to take him down, now, before he slips away.” Chat lunged forward, swinging his baton back for a hard blow. Hawkmoth smirked at him not moving to defend himself at all. Chat was barely inches away from him when he was hit by an invisible force. He hit a beam of the Eiffel Tower hard, his ears ringing. He cried out in pain but quickly realized he couldn’t hear anything.

“Chat!” Ladybug cried out when she saw her partner hit the beam. Ladybug began to swing her yoyo in front of herself as a shield when Silent Scream aimed her sonic gun at her. It didn’t do her any good, the sonic blast still knocked her back, knocking the lucky charm out of her hands. Ladybug struggled to get back to her feet, her ears ringing from the blast. She tried to call out to Chat, but no sound came out of her mouth. 

Hawkmoth was nowhere in sight, no doubt having already made his escape from the fight. Chat was running towards her, narrowly avoiding another blast. This one shook the unstable structure causing debri to fall from higher up the Eiffel Tower. A satellite dish landed nearby, lighting up in Ladybug’s eyesight. Realizing what she had to do, Ladybug looked for the luck charm she dropped moments ago. 

The lucky charm was a few feet away from her. She attempted to lunge forward to grab it, only to get hit by another sonic blast. Chat realized what she was trying to do and dived for the magnet, snagging it with his left hand just before the next blast hit him. Chat struggled to keep his grip on the lucky charm as his baton went flying over the edge of the tower. 

Ladybug got back up and threw her yoyo at the akuma to engage Silent Scream’s attention, distracting her away from Chat. As Ladybug narrowly avoided the sonic blast aimed at her, Chat managed to attach the handle to the satellite dish one handed and hold it up as a shield. He screamed out at the villain, drawing her attention back to him.

Silent Scream aimed her sonic gun at him and fired. Chat blocked the blow with the satellite dish, reflecting it back at Silent Scream. The villain screamed in pain when the blast hit her and knocked her off her feet. Her sonic gun clattered on the platform as akumatized villain clutched her head with both hands. Ladybug seized the opportunity to wrap her yoyo around the gun, pulling it away from the akuma and tossing it to Chat Noir. He caught it in his right hand, disintegrating the object with his cataclysm.   
  
Ladybug caught the akuma, purifying it before releasing it and calling for her Miraculous Cure. Both of the superheroes sagged to the platform in relief as the cure healed their injuries and restored their hearing. “Ow,” Ladybug said, testing her hearing for a moment.

Chat groaned next to her, stretching out his limbs. “Let’s hope we never have to fight another akuma like that one again.”

Alya sat up feeling confused as to where she was, the last thing she remembered was protesting, now she was on the Eiffel Tower somehow? She spotted the groaning heroes across from her and called out to them, “Ladybug! Chat Noir! What happened?”

“Seriously?” Chat groaned. “I have to remember everything from my akumatization, but she gets the whole thing erased from her memory?”

“Calm down, Chat,” Ladybug murmured. She put her hand on his shoulder indicating that she would handle this. “Alya, we are almost out of time. Will you be okay on your own?”

Alya felt tears start to roll down her cheeks. “Why did you never tell me that Lila lied about you? Why did you just let her ruin my career?”

“I confronted Lila about her lies before and that only got her akumatized. She became a victim of Hawkmoth and I didn’t want to risk that again. Besides, you should back checked your sources before uploading everything they say.” 

Both of their miraculous alerted them that they were down to their final minutes. As they turned to get out of there before their transformations dropped when Alya called out, “But why didn’t you warn me?”

“You need to learn to uncover things for yourself, Alya. You turned your back on your best friend for someone who was clearly lying. Why should I trust you to believe me then?” Without another word, the heroes rushed off to find a hiding place to drop their transformations safely. Alya watched them go for a moment, then headed down the nearby staircase. Ladybug used to be so kind, but then she turned her back on Alya, her biggest fan and supporter. Alya wanted to know more than ever who was under the mask.

  
  


Adrien

They found an empty rooftop with enough cover for them to still be within earshot of each other, but not reveal their identities. Adrien sighed in relief, “Claws in.” As Plagg shot out of his ring for the first time in a week, he heard Ladybug release her own transformation. 

The kwami was extremely cranky with his Chosen. “Cheese! Now!” Plagg growled. Adrien didn’t argue, giving the kwami the piece of camembert he kept on him just in case. 

With Plagg now distracted by his precious cheese, Adrien turned his attention back to listening to Ladybug. “That could have gone better,” he called over to her.   


“She needs to hear the hard truth.” Ladybug seemed to hesitate, then she asked, “Chat, are you okay?”

“No,” Adrien admitted. “I had my life turned upside down recently. My father is Hawkmoth, my mother is alive and in a coma.” He dropped his head in his hands, “All my friends were attacked because of him, he put so many people in danger. He kept so many secrets and ignored me for so long, all for this.” Adrien’s eyes widened as he realized something. “He still has Master Fu, I have to go back home and find him!”

“Chat, I don’t think you should go home tonight. It’s not safe!” Ladybug called over to him.

“I can’t go to anyone else, that could put them in danger. If I can sneak in, I might be able to find Master Fu and even the missing miraculous,” Adrien insisted. 

“Fine, but promise to call me if you find anything out or get in trouble,” Ladybug sighed, not onboard with Chat’s plan entirely.

“Plagg, claws out!” Chat Noir dashed away, unaware of Marientte watching him with concerned eyes. She transformed and headed home, intent on choosing another miraculous to unify Tikki with should Chat call her for back up.

  
  


Gabriel

Hawkmoth found an alleyway to release his transformation without getting spotted. Silent Scream may have failed to bring him the miraculous, but she gave him enough time to get away. Gabriel pulled out his phone and messaged his new assistant to come pick him up in the car, then started to walk across the street to wait in the Café. Gabriel never saw the bus until it was too late. That’s what happens when you leave home without your glasses. You don’t see the incoming bus until after it hits you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw you, Gabriel. Karma is a bitch.


	13. Pyrrhic Victory

Adrien

When Chat Noir leapt over the wall around Agreste Mansion, he was surprised to find no kind of guards patrolling around the mansion grounds. The front door was even unlocked, no one in foyer to greet him. Adrien hesitantly released his transformation, Plagg zipping out of the ring. The kwami looked around confused, “Kid, where is everyone? Usually there is at least one stiff neck walking around, isn’t there?”

“Father wouldn’t risk people learning the real reason why I was missing,” Adrien figured, knowing his father probably told people he was sent off to some secluded location to focus on his studies away from all distractions. 

Adrien reached in his pocket, confirming the USB key he filled with his father’s files a week ago was still there. Glancing around once again, he quickly dashed over to his room. The duffle bag he packed was still there, which seemed to be untampered with. In fact, it appeared no one had been in his room since he left. Plagg zipped in front of his face, “Kid, we can’t stay here. We got everything we need, now let’s go find Marinette!”

“Hopefully her parents don’t mind me suddenly showing up out of the blue,” Adrien said as he grabbed the harddrive from his computer and put it in the bag.

Adrien zipped up his duffle bag and was getting ready to leave when a woman suddenly entered his room. “Adrien?” she asked, clearly confused by his presence. “I thought you were supposed to be out of town so that you may focus on your studies?”

“Who are you?” Adrien asked, not recognizing her from his father’s company. “Where is Natalie?” 

The woman opened her mouth to answer when her earpiece started ringing. She reached up and answered it, “Hello? Yes, I am Ms. Ecclestone, Mr. Agreste’s personal assistant.” Suddenly, a look of shock and horror crossed her face. “When did this happen? Okay, we’ll be there shortly.”

Adrien eyed her suspiciously, his hands balling up into fists. “What is going on?”

“Adrien, you may want to sit down for this,” Ms. Ecclestone choked out, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Adrien glared at her, repeating his question to her, “What is goin on?”

“Adrien, your father is dead. He was hit by a bus twenty minutes ago.” Adrien’s hardened expression dropped, his heart stopping for a moment. His father was dead? Hawkmoth was dead. Gabriel Agreste stopped being his father the minute he decided to become Hawkmoth. Ms. Ecclestone’s voice interrupted his thoughts, “I understand this must be hard for you so soon after Ms. Sancoeur’s death.” 

Adrien looked at her in shock, “Natalie is dead? What happened?”

The woman frowned as she gave him a careful look over, “Adrien, Ms. Sancoeur died of a heart attack yesterday.”

That caused Adrien to sit down on his bed. Natalie had always seemed to try and grant him freedom to spend time with his friends or accept the terrible excuses he came up with to keep his hero work a secret. If Natalie was gone, that meant Adrien was now truly an orphan. Sure there was the gorilla, but he was paid to make sure Adrien stayed safe. The only one he had left was his mother laying comatose in the basement, who may never even be able to wake up.

Ms. Ecclestone’s voice interrupted his thoughts once more. “I understand all of this may be hard for you to take in right now. Perhaps it would be best if you remained here while I go retrieve Mr. Agreste’s personal effects,” she offered him, looking at him in concern. 

Adrien immediately jerked back onto his feet. “No, I’ll do it! By myself!” he stated a little too hastily. 

She gave him a curious look, then nodded her head understandingly. "Very well, I'll ask your bodyguard to drive to the hospital. They'll need you to identify the body." 

Adrien nodded his understanding as he left the room, going outside to meet his bodyguard who was already waiting for him. As he sat in the backseat, Adrien was unaware of the eyes following him. 

  
  


Ladybug

Marinette was only a block away from the rooftop where she and Chat Noir had split up when she changed her mind. Following at a distance from which her partner won't spot her, Ladybug tailed her partner to his destination. Despite her suspicions, Chat Noir entering the open window of Adrien's bedroom still shocked her.

Adrien is Chat Noir. Chat Noir is Adrien. No part of it would have made sense if someone had said that to her yet she just saw him drop his transformation and the truth couldn’t be more clear. But that would mean Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste, Ladybug thought to herself. Suddenly, the way Gabriel had treated Adrien almost made sense in a twisted dark way: he wanted to ensure Adrien would be out of harm's way. The schedules, never being able to go to events with friends and always being locked in the house all the time. Gabriel didn’t want to risk Adrien’s safety in the dangerous akuma attacks. But why would Gabriel lead the akuma attacks?

Her train of thought was interrupted by the black car leaving the mansion. A closer inspection of the car revealed the Gorilla driving with Adrien sitting by himself in the back. Gabriel’s intentions for becoming Hawkmoth would have to wait, she needs to watch her partner’s back. She swung off after the car, careful to remain out of sight. 

  
  


Adrien

Gorilla waited in the car as Adrien went inside the hospital, a doctor leading him to the morgue downstairs. The doctor, wearing a blue suit and sneakers, pulled open one of the body freezers and held the sheet back. “Is this man your father?” 

Adrien swallowed a lump down his throat and nodded. “Yes, that is my father Gabriel Agreste.” The doctor nodded, replacing the sheet and closed the freezer. He wrote something on his clipboard and handed Adrien a bag of items. 

Adrien did his best not to rip the bag open and dumped the contents carefully on the table nearby. He quickly sifted through the items: a pen, a wallet, a pair of reading glasses and a brooch resembling a peacock tail. Adrien quickly pocketed the miraculous, looking through the items again but didn’t find the butterfly miraculous. Cursing under his breath, Adrien turned back to the doctor. “Is this everything?”

The doctor nodded at him, his brows pressing together as if in deep thought. “Yes, though a girl ran up to the paramedic team earlier, making a fuss about how he was her uncle. If you think he is missing something, she might have it.”

“Do you know who it was?” Adrien asked, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

The doctor shook his head, “Sorry, no idea who it was.”

As the doctor turned away to leave, Adrien asked, “Sorry, what was your name?”

The brunette looked him in the eyes and stated firmly, “The Doctor.” He left immediately, entering a storage closet to Adrien’s confusion. He placed the remaining items back inside the bag and walked out of the hospital. 

The Gorilla remained silent as Adrien sat down in the back of the car, driving away from hospital just as the first new van showed up. Adrien ignored it, squeezing the peacock miraculous in his pocket. There was supposed to be another miraculous and it wasn't on his father. Someone might have snatched it away from his father's body in the confusion. Which meant potential for a new villain to start terrorizing the city worries him.

Adrien wasn't surprised at the crowd of reporters waiting for him outside of the mansion. Cameras flashed as the car drove through the gates, questions being shouted at him from everyone at once. But Adrien didn't have time for them; he needed to investigate his father's lair for anything else he may be hiding. 

Taking the secret elevator down, Adrien found himself in the chamber where his mother rested. He gazed at her wistfully, all the times that his father harshly told him to mind his own business whenever he asked about his mother coming to mind.

"Hey kid!" Plagg's voice interrupted Adrien's thoughts. "There's another room over here!" 

Adrien walked over to where his kwami was hovering, a steel door with an electronic lock blocking them. "Let's see what other secrets father was hiding. Plagg, claws out!" The kwami zipped into the ring without complaint, transforming Adrien into Chat Noir. 

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir pressed his hand against the door, corroding the metal to dust. He waited a moment for the dust to clear before stepping inside, his eyes widening at the person tied down to the chair: a battered and bruised Master Fu.

Chat Noir quickly used his enhanced strength to free the guardian, helping him to his feet. "Master Fu, what are you doing here?"

The guardian coughed before answering, "Hawkmoth took me captive and locked me down here in order to get information out of me." He grabbed Chat Noir's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Chat Noir, Hawkmoth is your…" 

"He's my father," he interrupted. "I know, it's been a rough weekend for me."

Fu nodded patiently, observing the boy. "Do you know where your father is?" 

Chat nodded, "In a morgue."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Chat interrupted. "He hid so much from me and did so many horrible things to innocent people. He doesn't deserve to be mourned."

Fu nodded his understanding, also not in a mood for mourning the rogue miraculous wielder. Gabriel had caused him both emotion and physical pain; no amount of guardian training was going to put Fu in a forgiving mood. 

Chat’s ring beeped, prompting him to release him his transformation. Plagg zipped out and landed on Adrien’s shoulder, opening his mouth to whine for food when he noticed Master Fu. “Master!” the kwami explained, leaving Adrien to circle around the guardian excitedly.

Fu cracked a small smile at Plagg's excitement. "Good to see you are doing well, Plagg." His expression turned serious again as he continued, “Have you seen her?”

Adrien nodded, “My mother is in some sort of status pod keeping her alive. Though I don’t know what she is dying from.”

“It is the Peacock miraculous. It was damaged after I lost it all those years ago and as a result, those who wield are slowly killed. Your mother has learned this the hard way and your father’s assistant as well, though she was far less advanced than your mother’s.”

Adrien frowned, “I haven’t seen Nathalie since before I first discovered this place.”

“She is dead. Hawkmoth shot her for showing me your mother and revealing all their secrets. The secrets I hold were valuable enough to keep me alive in his eyes,” Fu revealed.

Adrien stopped dead in his tracks. Nathalie is dead? How? “My father killed Nathalie?”

“Yes. And no. She was placed in the cell with me and after your father left, her body disappeared leaving a amok feather and a pocket watch with a hole in it from the bullet.” The guardian opened his mouth to say more, but he fell to the ground without warning. 

Adrien dropped down to Fu's side, searching for the cause of his collapse. "Master Fu, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, panickinging on the inside.  _ Please, I can’t lose someone else today too. _

The guardian coughed up blood, struggling to speak. "I'm afraid my injuries from my last interrogation were more severe than I thought."

Adrien ran his hand through his hair as his eyes darted around for a solution. "Hang on, I can get you to Ladybug and she can fix you up." 

He began to move away when Fu grabbed his arm. "No, Adrien. The damage isn't magical. Ladybug's powers won't be able to save me and it's too late for a hospital." He cracked a sad smile, saying, "Don't blame yourself for this. It isn't your fault." With that, Fu released his grip on Adrien's arm and fell back to the floor. He stopped breathing. 

Adrien felt Master Fu's wrist for a pulse, but found none. The old guardian was dead. Adrien closed Fu's eyes, then transformed and carried his body out of the mansion. He brought it to a hospital, telling the doctor he found Fu wandering the streets hurt and unable to speak. 

Chat watched as they wheeled Fu away, not sure when Ladybug joined him or when she squeezed his hand tightly. He just squeezed her hand back as the tears rolled down his cheek.

  
  


Ladybug 

After a few minutes, Ladybug urged Chat away from the hospital and to a secluded rooftop. The sun had completely fallen now, leaving the two of them alone in darkness as the city of love slept all around them, unaware of the day's shocking events.

After a few more moments of silence, Ladybug looked at her partner and asked the question to which answer she dreaded. "Chat, what happened?"

He took a deep breath and told her. "My father, Hawkmoth, is dead. Killed by a bus in the street. The butterfly miraculous is missing, I don’t know if he hid it somehow or if someone stole it." 

"Chat, I'm so sorry,” she whispered, unsure what else to say. She wasn’t as shocked as she would have been thanks to her suspicions, but it still felt like a punch in the gut. Suddenly, Chat leaned over the edge of the roof and hurled as the last few hours finally took their toll on him. She waited patiently for him to finish, gently rubbing his back.

When he finally regained control over himself, Chat sat down against the rooftop access door and inhaled deeply. “He has a secret lair below our house where he has my mother in a stasis pod to keep her alive. His assistant was actually a senti-monster this whole time and she is gone too now. Heck, I don’t even know if the new assistant is a real person.” Chat dropped his head in his arms, “I don’t even know what is real anymore.”

Ladybug sat down next to him and slipped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him close to her. “I’m real,” she whispered softly to him, stroking his hair. “And I will never leave you. It’s you and me against the world, Kitty. Always.” Though he didn’t say anything in response, the quiet purr that came from his chest told her all she needed.

  
  


Ladybug

The next morning, Ladybug swung into the nearest news station and made an announcement live that she needed a press conference at city hall to make a very important announcement. Nothing else was talked about for the rest of the day as everyone wanted to know what the superhero had to say that required all eyes on her. 

News had traveled fast from the hospital of the old man who Hawkmoth had kidnapped being dropped off by Chat Noir. Online forums were overflowing with activity, people thoerizing that Fu was some kind of wizard that gave Ladybug and Chat Noir their powers. Reddit even had to shut down it’s servers to avoid a total meltdown after people started suggesting that the Ladyblogger worked for Hawkmoth, sparking a massive online war. 

The mayor naturally tried to protest the media taking over the area around city hall, reporters and bloggers fighting for the best spot. Gazing down from her perch, hidden from the crowd, Ladybug sighed. This was going to be difficult trying to explain her decision for keeping Hawkmoth’s identity a secret without giving away any details. The media was going to crucify her for this but Chat, no Adrien, deserved to be able to live in peace without facing the backlash of his father’s actions anymore than he already did.

She heard a soft thump land behind her; she didn’t have to look to know who it was, but she did anyways. Chat Noir was in crouch still from landing, looking awful. She moved next to her kitty and wrapped her arms around him comfortingly. “You didn’t have to come.”

He gave her a sad smile, replying, “I’ll always have your back, no matter what happens. You and me against the world right?”

Ladybug couldn’t help but smile at her partner, once again feeling unstoppable with him by her side. “Still, you don’t have to come down there with me. You can just wait here if you want,” she added in a concerned tone.

Chat frowned at her, “But I want to support you.”

She gave him a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, kitty. I know that you will be up here watching over me. That’s more than enough support and I don’t want to wear you out anymore than you already are.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “And you don’t look well.”

Chat sighed, “Okay.” He looked out at the crowd below as he continued, “I didn’t sleep much last night so I investigated the lair further. No sign of the butterfly miraculous or anything else seriously sinister other than a butterfly farm.” 

“I guess that's where he kept getting akumas from.” Ladybug shook her head, laughing softly. “And to think we used to think he had them trained to go home after doing his evil bidding.” Chat burst out laughing as he too remembered the time they spent every night for a month trying to follow the butterflies back to Hawkmoth. The result was them seeing parts of Paris they never expected to see, far away from any akuma attack locations. They gave up when they realized the akuma attacks only happened within a ten miles radius and that the butterflies just did whatever they pleased afterwards. 

They soon recovered themselves as police finally showed up to bring order to chaos below. A few of the more well known reporters were allowed to stay up front near the podium set up for her, the rest all being forced to stay back. The mayor was still shouting for everyone to leave at once, but no one seemed to care. “Oh how the mighty have fallen,” Chat mused. “I think you should get down there before they start a riot. The police might even help them.” He held out his fist.

Ladybug chuckled, “I guess you are right.” She bumped his fist, then used her yoyo to lower herself down onto the stage below. 

Reporters immediately started shouting out questions at her, demanding to know why she called the press conference and who the old man really was. She held her arms up for everyone to be silent, waiting until everyone stopped shouting. “I know that you all have questions, but I need you all to hold on to them for now.” She took a deep breath, then said something she had always dreamed of saying, “Hawkmoth has been defeated. Paris is no longer under siege from his evil. No one has to live in fear of their emotions being used against them.” She beamed brightly at everyone, finally relieved to make that announcement. It felt good to finally give everyone some real good news for once after all the chaos of the last year.

The mood of the crowd immediately shifted as people cheered at the announcement. The joyful moment was broken by a question shouted loudly, “Where is Hawkmoth now?”

Ladybug took a deep breath, then revealed what happened. “Hawkmoth was killed by an accident in his civilian life. His family was shocked to learn that he was actually Hawkmoth and immediately informed me of it. I have taken his miraculous from them and returned it to its rightful place.”

More questions were shouted at her, most of them lost in the noise. There a few she was able to hear, though she didn’t get a chance to answer due to the reporters all shouting at once. “Where is the miraculous now? Will you and Chat Noir retire? Why isn’t Chat Noir here too? What if another supervillain attacks? Will you and Chat Noir be revealing your identities? Who was the elderly man Chat Noir brought to the hospital? Why did Hawkmoth kidnap this man? Is he connected to you and Chat Noir? Will you and Chat Noir start a relationship now that Hawkmoth is gone?”

Ladybug spotted Alya edging her way forward in the crowd, phone in hand. She felt a pang of guilt inside of her as she noticed how tired Alya seemed. Alya has no doubt been working hard to try and rebuild her reputation as a journalist after Marinette destroyed it. Despite knowing Alya failed to fact check Lila’s claims, she still felt guilty for it happening.

A reporter won the shouting match with a single very important question. “Who is Hawkmoth under the mask? What is his real name?” Silence fell over the group as everyone waited for her answer, clearly eager to finally have someone to blame for all the attacks the city has endured and was scared by.

Ladybug sighed, “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that. In order to protect his family, who are innocent, from any backlash of his crimes. So I will not be revealing his identity to you. What matters is that he is no longer a threat to Paris.”

There was a moment of dead silence as everyone took in what she just said. It felt longer than it really was until one voice rang out from the silent group of reporters. One that Marinette used to associate with her most trusted ally and friend. Alya shouted, “What the fuck?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to leave a comment and check out my other works here on my profile and subscribe to my profile for all updates and new stories yet to come!: [Shattered_Heartless](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shattered_Heartless/works)


	14. Breaking Squares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you are all staying safe. Here we are with one chapter to go, it's been a wild ride you guys and I can't wait to see how you react to the ending.

Ladybug

“What the fuck?”

Alya’s question rang through the stage, everyone waiting for Ladybug’s response. She hesitated, not sure what more she could say. That’s when the other reporters in the crowd started up again. Ladybug found herself constantly being asked the same questions over and over, no one giving her a chance to say anything. 

Chat Noir landed next to her, stunning the group of reporters momentarily. He gave them his trademark smirk as he announced, "I'm very sorry, but that is all the time M’lady has to spare for questions today. Any other questions you have can be sent to my twitter account. Stay pawsome!” 

He used his staff to launch them up and away from the mobbing reporters, one screaming at them, “But you don’t have a twitter account!”

Chat Noir carried Ladybug until they were a dozen or so blocks away from City Hall, stopping on a barren rooftop. They slumped to the ground in exhaustion. “Well that could have gone better,” Ladybug said with a sad smile. 

Chat laughed bitterly, adding, “Well it's not the worst thing that happened this morning at least.” He looked over at her with a tired look and asked, “Now what?”

Ladybug frowned as she opened up her bug-phone, pulling up the most recent news streams. Almost every single one was bashing them, stating they were as bad as Hawkmoth by protecting his identity. “Well, everyone seems to hate us now,” she commented, scrolling through the rest of the news feed. “They’re really upset that we won’t reveal Hawkmoth’s identity or give them anymore details. The way I see it, you and your family don’t need that kind of attention right now.”

Chat sighed and admitted, “I don’t have anyone else left, it was just me and my father after my mother disappeared. She may be alive still, but barely, and I don’t know if she’ll ever even be able to walk again.”

Ladybug scooted over to him, put her arm around his torso and pulled him close to her. “You are not alone, Chat. You will always have me by your side,” she promised, adding to herself,  _ on both sides of the mask, Adrien. _

Chat leaned his head on her shoulder, purring softly as she continued to scroll through the newsfeed. After a number of negative rants about them, she finally spotted something that might be able to help them out. “Hey, check this out,” she said, nudging Chat and pointing at her screen. “Nadja Chamack is live right now and she is actually speaking out in support of us!”

She unmuted the stream, raising the volume so both of them could hear. Nadja Chamack appeared to be enraged as she spoke, telling her audience, “After all the times they have saved us, I think they deserve the right to withhold this information from us. No one knows the dangers of being superheroes or being a relative of a superhero, dangers which I am sure apply to the family of Hawkmoth. If Ladybug and Chat Noir say they are innocent, then I am satisfied. Can the people of Paris truthfully say that they won’t mob the home of his family? I know there are many people who hold a grudge and would be more than willing to deal out their own version of justice.”

Chat began to grin as he heard everything Nadja was saying. Ladybug felt her own smile grow as she saw his expression brighten up. “What do you say we give Ms. Chamack a surprise interview?” she asked him. 

Chat eagerly nodded, then jumped to his feet and readied his baton. “Race you there, Bugaboo?”

She grinned at him, “Just try to keep up, kitty.” Without another word, she used her yoyo to pull herself away, laughing as Chat leaped after her, shouting that she was cheating. 

They arrived at the TVi studio, using the rooftop access to get inside. As they snuck inside of the main set, they spotted Nadja Chamack having an argument with her producer. “Look Nadja, the ratings are going down because you’re supporting the heroes and their outrageous decision. If you don’t change your tune soon, I’m gonna have to fire you,” the producer announced, hands on her hips. 

Nadja shook her head violently at her producer, her fists balling up. “I don’t care what the public thinks, I know what is right and so do you!” she exclaimed, jabbing a finger at the producer’s chest. “Now you are going to put me back on the air and let me tell Paris what they should really be doing!”

“If you don’t, you’d miss out on an exclusive interview with Chat Noir and Ladybug,” Ladybug called out as she and Chat Noir stepped out from the shadows, holding their heads high and radiating confidence. 

Nadja simply smiled as she turned around and stepped back onto the set. Her producer scrambled into action, completely caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the duo. “Get those cameras rolling! Cut the commercials if you have to! We have freaking superheroes in here and I don’t care how much people don’t like them right now!” 

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged amused glances as they moved over to the interview couches and sat down across from Nadja, who was beaming at them. “Thank you,” she whispered just before the producer announced that they were going live in three seconds. “Welcome back Paris!” Nadja announced warmly. “We come back with two surprise guests, Ladybug and Chat Noir! Can you please tell us more about the final showdown with Hawkmoth?”

“Well, we never had a showdown,” Ladybug admitted, taking the lead so Chat can avoid any difficult questions about his father. “Hawkmoth died in an accident that happened in his civilian life. His family was unaware of his actions as Hawkmoth until after his passing when they were going through his personal items and discovered his secret. One of them was able to reach out to us and inform us of what had happened. We agreed to keep their identities a secret so that they wouldn’t suffer any harassment from anyone who decided to take justice into their own hands.”

Nadja gave her a warm smile as she nodded, commenting, “That’s very noble of you, but what about the mayor? He announced after the press conference you held earlier that Hawkmoth’s identity is to be revealed and his family to be brought in for questioning. What do you have to say about that?”

Ladybug took a deep breath and replied with a firm voice, “I think Mayor Bourgeois needs to learn not to overstep his bounds. We don’t answer to him and he has no authority over the miraculous. Not to mention the number of people who know the identities of Hawkmoth, Chat Noir and myself can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare, so I would suggest he doesn't hold his breath waiting for someone to come forward to reveal who we are. No one is coming and no one will."

"Ladybug, are you afraid that the mayor may take action against you?"

"No because Chat Noir and I don’t live in the mask at all times, meaning the mayor would waste so many tax dollars of the hardworking people in this city and he wouldn't want to do that so close to the election that starts next week," Ladybug added with a smirk. Chat snickered at the thought of Andre in his office, red faced as he watched the live interview.

Nadja grinned as she asked Ladybug, “So what is next for you two?”

Ladybug looked at Chat, who gave her a shrug. Ladybug looked back over to Nadja and confessed, “We don’t know.”

  
  


Adrien

Adrien paced around the lobby of the mansion nervously, the Gorilla standing guard outside. In a few hours, his father’s death was going to be announced to the world. He wanted to have a few minutes of peace before that happened, inviting a few of his close friends to come over. Nino was the first to arrive, fist bumping Gorilla on the way in. “Hey dude!” he called out. “Where have you been?”

Adrien smiled as he accepted a bro hug from his best friend. “I've been locked down for a while. Father kind of lost it last week.”

“Dude, your dad lost it a while ago,” Nino pointed out, looking around for any signs of somebody that might kick him out. “What made him decide to let you out now?”

Adrien looked away from Nino and towards the door, telling him, “I rather wait until Mari and Alya get here.”

Nino stiffened, “Alya is coming here?”

Adrien nodded his head, replying, “Yeah, why not?” His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. “Shit, dude I am so sorry! I forgot about the break up.”

Nino shook his head at Adrien. “Don’t worry about it man, you clearly had a rough enough week.”

Adrien was about to reply when the door opened again, Alya walking inside. She smiled when she saw Adrien and opened her mouth to greet him when she saw that Nino was there too. 

Adrien gave her a weak smile, "Sorry." 

Alya shrugged as she looked away from Nino. "What's up?"

"Just waiting on Marinette to get here," Adrien told her, praying Marinette would arrive soon and break up the awkwardness. Just then Marinette arrived, already giving Adrien a look of compassion as if she knew why he invited them over. She brought a bag with the bakery logo on it, no doubt some treats. 

Adrien motioned them all to follow him over to his room, leading the way. Once inside and settled in his lounge area, Marinette passed around some treats as they made awkward small talk. Finally, Alya's impatience got the better of her and she blurted out, "Okay Adrien, just spit it out already! Why did you invite us over here?"

Marinette glared at Alya, rage burning in her eyes, Adrien noted. She clearly knew more than Adrien thought she did, but then again she was Multimouse after all. Before Marinette could tell Alya to back off, Adrien answered her, "My father is dead."

Nino and Alya both froze in shock while Marinette scooted closer to Adrien and put her arm around him comfortingly. Adrien leaned into her embrace, feeling something natural about the motion that he couldn’t explain. 

Nino opened and closed his mouth as Alya quickly apologized, “Adrien, I am so sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Because your priorities would be so different if you knew,” Marinette muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Adrien to hear her. 

Before a fight could start, Adrien stepped in. “It’s okay Alya, I know you have a lot going on too with your blog.”

Alya shrugged, “It probably would have died anyways with Ladybug gone crazy lately. I mean, who wouldn’t reveal the identity of a supervillain?”

“Alya, people are mourning the loss of a man not because they loved him, but because they never really knew him,” Nino pointed out. “Don’t you think the choice should be theirs?”

Marinette nodded in agreement with him, adding in, “Besides, people who have been hurt by Hawkmoth might take their anger against him out on his family instead.”

Alya shook her head, “No, people with that kind of power should be held accountable. Right now no one knows who Ladybug and Chat Noir are and they have access to other miraculous.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at Alya, “What are you suggesting?”

“That Ladybug and Chat Noir reveal their identities and the identity of Hawkmoth to the public. It's the only way and I have a way of pushing them to do it,” Alya admitted.  There was a moment of silence until Adrien broke it, asking, “What way?”

“By revealing that I am Rena Rouge and that Nino is Carapace.”

“Like hell you will!” Everyone jumped at the sound of Nino’s voice as he stood up and walked up to Alya. “You will not tell the world that I was a superhero and have a magical bracelet that let’s me transform into one!”

Alya leaned back, not expecting this kind of backlash from Nino. “You have to understand it’s the only way.”

“No, it isn’t. If you even mention my name on the news, they will swarm my house and never leave my family alone. And the people who want the power of the miraculous for themselves will attack them and try to get me to hand over a miraculous I don’t have. So don’t you dare tell me what to do because you are still trying to prove that everything you say still has value even though you have been repeating the words of a liar for months without even fact checking her,” Nino spat. Without another word, Nino stormed out of the mansion, leaving the others in shock.

Adrien took a deep breath, then looked Alya in the eye. “He is right, Alya. It’s too dangerous for the people you care about.”

“Adrien, if Hawkmoth was your father, wouldn’t you want to hang him out to dry? I mean he is already a piece of shi-”

“Shut up!” Marinette snapped. She stood up and stalked over to where Alya sat. “He is mourning his father right now, but you decided to make this all about you because that’s where the spotlight always has to be, right?”

“That’s not true,” Alya stammered, shrinking back from the furious designer. 

“I’m sure Lila would say the exact same thing,” Marinette countered, glaring at Alya. “If you are going to keep pressing this, then get out. But if I see you try to out anyone as a superhero, then I will be the first to come after you and it won’t be pretty.”

Alya walked out without saying another word, leaving Marinette alone with Adrien. “Sorry,” she apologized to him. “It’s just that no one is stopping to think about the consequences and that’s not why you invited us here.” She placed her arm back around him, “I am sorry about what happened to your father, Adrien.”

Once again, Adrien got the feeling Marinette knew more then she was letting on, but he didn’t care. He trusted her with his life and he didn’t know why, but he felt safe with her. “None of this is your fault. My father brought this on himself, no one else did.” Marinette remained silent, as if she knew the rest of the story. They stayed silent sitting there together, munching on the remaining treats as a pair of kwamis watched from above, knowing this was one of the last times they may see their chosens together.

  
  


Marinette

She was walking by a cafe when it happened. By it, she meant a wolf-like kwami flew in front of her, gave her a cheeky wave, then flew inside of the cafe. Marinette followed the kwami inside, seeing it disappear under a table along the far wall, with two people looking at her expectantly.

Marinette took a deep breath and approached them. One was a young woman wearing a mismatched set of clothes with a bracelet that had a very familiar logo on it. It was the same logo as the one on the miracle box and the smaller boxes she used to hand out miraculous to temporary welders. On her left breast, a charm was pinned on, though Marinette suspected it wasn’t an ordinary charm. A black bird-like kwami was resting on her shoulder, watching Marinette closely.

The other was a man of a similar age to her, wearing all black and a dark grey ring on his left hand. The wolf kwami was sitting on his shoulder as well, watching her closely just like the other kwami. The two strangers motioned for her to come over and join them at their table. 

As Marinette sat down at the table, the woman introduced herself, “Hello, Marinette. I am Skylar, a member of the Order of the Guardians. This my apprentice, Kai, and our kwamis, Qroww and Howwl.” She gestured to her associate and the kwamis in turn. 

Marinette smiled warmly at them, “It’s wonderful to meet you two. Does this mean the guardians are sending us help?”

The two guardians frowned as they exchanged a look, then Skylar told Marinette, “We are not here to help you or offer advice. We are here to take back all the miraculous you have in your possession currently. We will find the moth miraculous ourselves and then take the entire miracle box back to the temple with us.”

Marinette frowned as she felt Tikki press against her leg under the table. “You mean, we will have to give up our miraculous?”

Skylar nodded, giving her a sad smile, “I’m sorry, but they were never yours to keep. You and Chat Noir were recruited in a time of crisis when you were needed. But that time has passed and it’s time for the miraculous to return to where they truly belong.” 

When Marinette looked down at the table, Kai finally spoke up, “I know what it is like to bond with a kwami as a partner and friend, but you have a life ahead of you and the miraculous will only be a burden that will drag you down.”

Skylar motioned for him to let her take over and then reached out to take one of Marinette’s hands. “You have until this time tomorrow to say goodbye to them. Then, we will meet you and Chat Noir here to take the miraculous back.” 

Marinette nodded and left the cafe, her thoughts running wild. She wanted to take things slowly with Adrien after everything that has happened with his father, but the time to reveal everything was growing short. Transforming, she sent him a message as Ladybug, telling him to meet her after sunset, then hurried off to get her surprise ready.

  
  


Chat Noir

Chat vaulted nervously onto the rooftop that Ladybug had told him to meet her on. It wasn’t fancy, just a plain old ordinary rooftop with a few high walls to block out any lucky civilian with a pair of binoculars from spotting them and alerting everyone to their location. 

As he landed on the roof, it suddenly lit up with colourful lights. The surrounding walls kept the light contained, protecting their location from prying eyes, much to his relief. Chat looked around in awe as Ladybug stepped out in front of him, fidgeting nervously. Chat looked at her, beaming with joy, “This is amazing!”

Ladybug gave him a shy smile as she walked over to him. “Thanks, I figured it might help the mood for what I have to tell you.”

Chat looked at her confused, asking, “What do you mean? Did something happen with the guardians?”

She bit her lip and nodded slowly, taking his hand and squeezing it. “Your mother is in critical condition, but they might be able to help her.” She took a deep breath and added, “They want to take the miracle box, even if we are still missing the butterfly miraculous. That means we have to-” She paused for a moment and took another deep breath before she continued. “We have to give up our miraculous and say goodbye to Plagg and Tikki.”

Chat felt a lump grow in his throat. Give up Plagg? The idea made him feel sick on the inside. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing another person close to him that had helped him at every turn when life was difficult. A tear started to roll down his cheek as Ladybug squeezed his hand tighter. “We can’t just give them up! I can’t lose Plagg, not now,” he cried. “Not after finding out about my mother, and then my father turning out to be Hawkmoth! I just can’t afford to lose someone else!”

Ladybug pulled him into a tight hug, letting him cry on her shoulder. “I know, kitty, I know. But you will still have me, you will always have me. I will never leave you, Chat.”

“But if we give up our miraculous, how will you be there for me? We don’t know each other’s secret identities and the stupid rule doesn’t let us reveal them to each other,” he murmured.

Ladybug pulled herself away from him and confessed, “Rules are meant to be broken and I already broke it, Adrien.”

Chat stared at her in shock, processing what she just said. “How- how did you know?”

“When you first showed up as Chat Blanc, you acted more like Adrien then Chat. Then when you went back home, I followed you even though you told me not to because I couldn’t let you go alone.” She looked him in the eyes apologetically, “I know you asked me not to, but you’re my partner. No, more than that. I can’t imagine my life without you and I can’t afford to lose you.”

Chat, Adrien, opened and closed his mouth unsure what to say. Ladybug allowed herself to crack a small smile and punned, “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” He almost fainted right there and then.

Chat burst out with laughter, Ladybug joining him a second later. When they finally recovered themselves, Chat looked over at her, asking, “So does this mean you will come to the mansion?”

Ladybug shook her head, answering, “No, that place is cold and not a real home. I’m taking you to my home.”

Chat frowned, “But how do you know they will accept me? Wait, do we know each other as civilians?”

Ladybug wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “You’re damn right we do. Spots off.” As the transformation faded away to reveal Marinette, she pulled a stunned Chat’s head close and kissed him passionately. 

  
  


Alya

Alya lowered her camera as Marinette and Chat Noir continued to make out in front of her, unaware that she had been watching them. First she learns that Hawkmoth is Chat Noir’s father, then that Chat Noir is actually Adrien Agreste and now Ladybug dropped her transformation to reveal that she had been Marinette all along. And Alya had captured the entire thing on video. Three answers to the three most currently asked questions in Paris in the palm of her hands. The ability to betray her best friends and put her back in the news game or help protect their secret from the public.

Alya leaned back against the wall of her hiding place, unsure what to do with her discovery as tears rolled down her cheek. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sure to subscribe to my profile [with this link](url) to get notified right away for new chapters for my current stories as well as new stories I will start posting in the next month!
> 
> Shout out to [mlb_obsessedbutlazy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlb_obsessedbutlazy) , [cassandrasfisher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher) and Musigirl04 for beta reading this chapter, be sure to check out their profiles!


	15. Not The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One story ends, another one begins.

Adrien

Adrien groaned as he sat up in his bed, the sun shining in through his bedroom windows. It was feeling like every other morning. Then Adrien remembered what happened the night before. Ladybug’s surprise and the revelation that he would have to give up Plagg and being Chat Noir. He looked over at the kwami, still sleeping on the pillow next to Adrien’s with a piece of camembert clutched tightly in his paws. Adrien was honestly surprised that Plagg didn’t eat it in his sleep, suspecting that wasn’t the slice the kwami originally had. 

Then he remembered what happened next: Ladybug kissing while her transformation dropped to reveal Marinette. Adrien felt his cheeks turn red at the memory. 

He showered and got dressed, then woke Plagg up. "Come on, Plagg! Wake up!" Adrien pleaded. "It's our last day together and we should make the most out of it."

"Kid, running around the city one last time isn't going to make it any different for me," Plagg grumbled, glaring out the window.

"But it would for me," Adrien reasoned. "You wouldn't want me to be miserable for the entirety of our last day together, do you?"

Plagg groaned and grumbled out, "Fiiine. Just promise me I get to eat your entire stash of camembert when we get back from your little run."

Adrien grinned, "You can have all the camembert you want. Plagg, claws out!" Transforming for what maybe the last time, Chat Noir jumped out of his bedroom. He rushed across the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. After some time, Chat turned around and headed for his favourite spot in the city: the Eiffel Tower.

But when he arrived, there were a wave of protesters gathered around the Eiffel Tower. They were no doubt the same ones demanding heroes to turn themselves in to be arrested. Sighing, Chat turned around and headed home, where the Gorilla would be waiting for him with breakfast.

  
  


Marinette 

She watched the wave of protesters grow around the Eiffel Tower, still calling for Ladybug and Chat Noir to turn themselves. Marinette smirked, wondering what the crowd would do once they realized Ladybug and Chat Noir were no longer going to show up. They weren't planning on announcing their retirement publicly, just disappearing quietly in all the noise.

"Amazing on how fast people can turn on their heroes," a familiar voice came from behind her. 

Marinette turned around and saw the guardian Skylar standing behind her. "I thought we have until tonight to hand over our miraculous?"

"You do. I'm just checking in. You two aren't planning on publicly revealing your identities or announcing your retirement?" Skylar asked as she turned her gaze to the crowd.

"No, that would only paint a target on our backs. Besides, Adrien already has enough on his plate with his father's death. And Master Fu." Marinette looked away from the crowd as she added, "We just want some time alone together and relax."

Skylar nodded her head understandingly, "I get that, and so does the Order. We are grateful for everything you two have done and wish to no longer burden you."

Marinette sighed, "I guess you have a point. Adrien and I wouldn’t be able to live a normal life if we are always looking over our shoulder, wondering if someone knows our secret and might try to steal our miraculous. But all the same, we will miss Tikki and Plagg."

Skylar nodded again, "I guess I would feel the same way if the Order took Qroww away from me. What about your back-up heroes? Are you going to tell them what is happening?" 

Marinette shook her head, "No, the less people who know we are retiring tonight, the better. Maybe someday, I'll leave an anonymous letter explaining what happened."

"The less people who know of this, the better," Skylar agreed. "Some of them may not react well and spill the beans to the press. That would only increase the pressure already against you." 

"I'll see you tonight then," Marinette told her, then turned around and began to walk home. Skylar watched her for a few moments, then headed back to her partner. Neither of them were aware of the fact that they were being watched.

  
  


Alya

From what Alya could tell, neither Marinette or the mysterious woman noticed her standing behind them around a bush. Alya had originally come to the Eiffel Tower to join in the protest, but saw Marinette talking to a stranger and decided to listen in on them. She had heard every word of their conversation and was tempted to follow the woman, but she had a larger question to answer. 

Ever since last night, Alya had been wondering what to do with the biggest scoop in the history of Paris. Marinette was her best friend and had trusted her enough to let her be a superhero even though Alya was constantly trying to unmask her.

But now she just heard Marinette and Adrien planned to just slip out of their superhero duties without a word to anyone else. She wasn't even going to give her a chance to say goodbye to Trixx. Alya sighed and headed home, debating on what to do.

  
  


Marinette

She relaxed as she leaned back into the couch, Adrien’s head resting in her lap. Tikki and Plagg were snuggled up with their chosen, ready to hide at a moments notice in case Marinette’s parents entered the room. They only had one hour left to be together until the guardians were supposed to arrive at the bakery to take away Tikki and Plagg. For now, they were trying to have one last peaceful moment together. It was the end of an era and the four of them decided just a simple movie was good enough. 

If only reality was full of happy moments.

Mid way through the movie, the picture suddenly changed to show a news station Marinette didn’t recognize. The reporter that seemed to be incharge of the show was a blonde middle age woman sitting behind a large oak desk. She had a confident smirk on her face as she started to speak, “Hello Paris. We apologize for interrupting your evening but we have breaking news for you today. We received word from a source that they discovered Hawkmoth’s identity and have proof of it.”

Marinette gasped as Adrien jolted up, both of their eyes wide open. “They can’t possibly know that! Only one who knows besides us was Master Fu.”

Adrien remained silent, intently watching the news story continue. The reporter indicted the stage to her right as she told the audience, “They are here tonight, so allow me to introduce Ms. Alya Césaire!”

Marinette and Adrien sat there in shock as Alya walked out from backstage and sat down in the guest chair, waving at the cameras and audience. She looked both excited and nervous, shaking hands with the host. “Thank you for having me here tonight.”

The reporter nodded, “So you say that you have evidence of Hawkmoth’s secret identity? From where did you get this?”

Alya nodded, taking a deep breath before replying, “As you will see in a few moments, my source was the most direct one you could get: Ladybug.”

Adrien growled as Marinette bit her lip, fearing what was going to come next. “Well then, we should see what this evidence is! Do you have it here?” the reporter asked, holding out her hand expectantly. 

Alya reached in her pocket and pulled out a USB drive. As she passed it over to the reporter, Alya told her with a small grin, “I don’t just have Hawkmoth’s identity though. When we watch that clip, you will also learn Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities!”

Plagg zipped up from the couch, fur bristling as he hissed, “We have to go cataclysm this traitor right now!” 

Marinette shook her head, “No, it’s not the right way. Besides, the studio is on the other side of the city. We would never make it in time.”

On screen, a video began to play. It was them as Ladybug and Chat Noir on the rooftop from last night: the moment of their identity reveal. Both of them watched in horror as one of their most private moments was played for the world. It ended when they kissed, but not before Marinette’s transformation was completely gone. Everything was out in the open now. Both of their identities have just been revealed to the entire city and soon the whole world will know as well.

The reporter looked at Alya in shock, commenting, “So Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth all along? I guess that explains why he rarely went out in public. And his son Adrien is Chat Noir. Now that is something we could comment on all night. However there is one question that I am sure is burning in everyone’s minds.” She brought the footage back on the screen, freezing it at the end with Marinette unmasked. “Who is the young lady at the end here?”

Marinette felt her heart stop beating and Adrien squeezed her hand tightly. “Please don’t tell her, Alya,” she pleaded, despite knowing Alya couldn’t hear her.

Alya took a deep breath, then stated firmly, “That’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Silent terror inside Marinette snapped into burning rage and she clenched her fists. After everything, Alya had decided to betray her for fame. After everything she and Adrien had done to protect this city, all the personal sacrifices they had to make. In their rage, neither of them noticed that Adrien’s ring had started to glow green while Marinette’s earrings were glowing red.

  
  


Lila

Lila pulled out the Butterfly miraculous and put it on, Nooroo emerging from the brooch. “Nooroo, dark wings rise!” Lila grinned as she transformed into Hawkmoth, having received a coded message from Gabriel after his death informing her about the miraculous and how to use it. And also the powerful wish she would be able to make if she was able to obtain both the Ladybug earrings and Black Cat ring and combine them. And Alya just unwittingly gift wrapped them for her.

She opened the box in the corner of her room and pulled out a white butterfly. “Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities have been exposed to the world. They thirst for justice in their anger. Go my akuma and evilize them!” The corrupted butterfly flew out her window, headed for the bakery and the vulnerable heroes. She smirked victoriously, victory already so close to her grasp.

Lila could sense the akuma getting closer and closer, growing more excited with each passing moment. Finally she could sense it, mere inches away from him. That’s when her connection to the akuma was suddenly cut off. Lila frowned, not understanding what was going on. She turned around and moved to take a step towards her butterfly box, when she noticed that she couldn’t move her feet.

Looking down, Lila saw a purple crystal formed around her feet and rapidly growing up her body. Lila attempted to scream for help, but the crystal was already forming around her mouth. In just a few seconds, Lila had been entirely encased in a purple crystal, her mind slipping into unconsciousness.

  
  


Adrien

“We have to get out there!” Adrien hissed, still having not noticed that his ring was glowing. “If we show up, we might be able to discredit the video. We could use the Fox miraculous to trick them like you did with me!”

Marinette shook her head, “It’s too late Adrien. Even if we got the drive from Alya, she most likely has copies stashed away. Any analyst would be able to tell the footage wasn’t faked.”

“Marinette,” Tikki interrupted, her voice shaking. “Something doesn’t feel right.” She clutched her stomach and Plagg groaned beside her.

Marinette and Adrien rushed over to the kwami’s, cradling them gently as they looked them over. “What’s wrong?” Adrien asked, his voice shaking.

Plagg moaned as Tikki opened her eyes to look up at Marinette, then froze stiff at what she saw. “Marinette, your earrings, they are glowing. That could only mean-” Tikki’s eyes went wide as dinner plates. “Oh no!” 

Suddenly both kwamis were sucked into their respective miraculous, leaving Marinette and Adrien speechless and confused. “What’s happening?” Adrien asked, fear evident in his voice.

Marinette shook her head and she looked down, trying to figure out what just happened to Tikki and Plagg. That’s when she saw the green crystal forming around Adrien’s feet. “Adrien!” she cried pointing at his feet. Marinette felt her arm go stiff and realize a red crystal was forming rapidly on her as well. 

“Mari!” Adrien cried as he was entirely encased in the green crystal. That was the last thing Marinette saw before the crystal sealed her in and she slipped into unconsciousness. Both of them remained there frozen inside of the crystals, unable to do anything.

Sabine walked in the room a few minutes later, only to find two large crystals, one red and the other green, in place of her beloved children. “Tom! Call for help quickly!” she cried as she rushed over to the crystal. Pressing her face against the crystals, Sabine was able to make out Marinette and Adrien, barely visible inside. 

Tears streamed down her face as Tom rushed in, holding the phone to his ear. “Please come quickly!” Tom shouted into the phone. He then ended the call and rushed forwards to pull Sabine close to him. “They are going to be okay, we will find a solution.”

Sabine didn’t reply, something said on the TV capturing her attention. She gasped as she saw the pictures of Marinette and Adrien on the screen, the caption reading:  **Ladybug and Chat Noir’s secret identities revealed!**

They deserved a happy ending after everything they had been through. But happy endings only exist in fairy tales. And this is no fairy tale. Or the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to thank you all for the tremdess support you all gave this fic! This fic was originally imspired by the song "Silent Scream", by DamienDawn and Anna Blue, as part of the March fanfiction exchange in the Miraculous Fanworks server.
> 
> A sequel is in the works and is to be posted in October! In the meantime, please check out my new story [Miraculous Heroes: Origins](https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/63759136?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_342024739) and the new story I written with my friend [Angylle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angylle) , [Repercussions](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26208031/chapters/63782326). It would mean alot to me!
> 
> I have Tumblr now! [Click here](https://shattered-heartless.tumblr.com/) to check it out!

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to [Angylle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angylle/pseuds/Angylle) who is beta reading for me! 


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